The BioBank of Biodiversity

A BioBank of biodiversity has been set up, a bank of biological samples of Mozambique for the conservation of biodiversity.
Two laboratory units are in operation, one at the CB-UEM and one at the MHN-UEM, for the conservation of biological samples (blood, tissues, faeces, ectoparasites) of the wildlife of the conservation areas and of sea, to be subjected to genetic characterization, for the control of zoonoses and available to Mozambican and international research groups.
Currently 61 wild animal samples have been collected and stored at the MHN-UEM unit and 51 at the CB-UEM and more samples are continuously arriving. The samples are cataloged in a computerized database.

This initiative is strategic not only for the UEM university, but for Mozambique in general from the point of view of scientific reference for future studies. There is an informal table of collaboration with ANAC, SERNIC, DINAV, IIAM, Mozambique Wildlife Alliance (MWA), Project COMBAT, WWF, Biofund, Oceanographic Institute of Mozambique (INOM) and World Conservation Society (WCS), all institutions linked to environmental conservation, with which conversations are underway for the stipulation of collaboration agreements.
The purpose of the BioBank is to propose to the competent authorities to regulate the obligation for national or foreign wildlife research groups to deposit in the BioBank a duplicate of each sample collected on national soil as part of their studies; create a common database of the collected samples, accessible to the participating institutions; make BioBank resources available to public and private entities that need access for well-founded reasons of biodiversity conservation and scientific research.