Animal Bio Arkivi: establishment of a phenotype and tissue repository for farm animals and pets at the University of Milan

Thanks to the new omic technologies, research on veterinary, and animal sciences will take advantage of large repositories of biological materials. At the University of Milan, Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, a biorepository (Animal Bio Arkivi) has been established. Animal Bio Arkivi consolidates, organizes, and promotes the collection, cataloging, and conservation of biological samples of different veterinary interest species. Samples and data are all available for research on biomedical aspects, risk assessment, sustainable breeding and conservation, leading to improvements for animal and human health. The collection is registered in a database organized by species, but with uniform criteria for recording and storage. Each animal record includes: signaling (studbook ID, microchip), pedigree data, phenotype data (clinical information/ productive features/ other traits under selection), and genotype data (coding loci, microsatellite markers, SNVs profiles) when available. Samples are conferred with owners’ permission and non-disclosure agreement. Procedures of periodic backups are set up. The collection preserves samples from different animal tissues, mainly blood, but also frozen muscles and other organs, semen, hair and feathers. Specimens are stored (at −20 °C, −80 °C or liquid nitrogen) to ensure proper organization and quality of the conservation. The repository also hosts DNA extracted from relevant samples. The first collected specimens date back 35 years. Overall the repository includes specimens of approximately 45,000 animals of several species: 34,000 Equidae, 5000 Bovidae, 5000 Felidae,and 1000 Phasianidae. Cosmopolitan breeds from historic routine typing service are mainly represented. Many local and rare populations or cohorts/families segregating relevant traits and samples from wild species are also included. The repository benefits from close long-lasting strategic partnerships of the University scientists with breeding associations, service laboratories, Academic institutions, and scientific initiatives of practitioners, such as the Osservatorio Veterinario Italiano Cardiopatie, which provide valuable additional information on phenotypes and genotypes, bringing together the public and scientific communities. Animal Bio Arkivi benefits from the newly established location in Lodi and its potential additional synergy with Veterinary Clinical and Husbandry Center of the University of Milan.