2026 Boden Research Conference: Cell cryobanking and the role of museums

The 2026 Boden Research Conference will bring together Australian and international experts on cell culture and cryopreservation to support wildlife conservation and research in Australia.

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Logo: Cell cryobanking and the Role of Museums

The Museums Victoria Research Institute is holding a conference and two workshops to support wildlife conservation and research in Australia.

The events are supported by the Australian Academy of Science’s Boden Research Conference award and held in collaboration with international experts in cell culture and cryopreservation. 

Conference

The conference is organised under six main themes, each led by a keynote speaker:

  1. Cryobanking challenging species: Dr Oz Pump (Mandai Nature Group, Singapore)
  2. Preserving and restoring living genomic diversity: Professor Katherine Belov AO FAA (The University of Sydney)
  3. Reprogramming cells of wildlife: Dr Gerard Tarulli (The University of Melbourne)
  4. Advanced reproductive technologies from cells: TBC
  5. Gene drive and wildlife conservation: Dr Ellen Cottingham (The University of Melbourne)
  6. Cytogenetics: Mitochondrial interactions and chromosomal evolution: Dr Sally Potter (Macquarie University) 
Workshop 1: Tissue sampling for cell culture 

1.00pm – 5.00pm, Wednesday 9 September 2026
For field researchers and ecologists who can collect tissue samples for cell culture. Topics include: 

  • Collection safety and zoonoses
  • Which tissues to biopsy in different taxa (mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish), including demos of collection, disinfection and how to store in collection medium
  • Three sample collection and tissue storage techniques: fresh, slow freeze and vitrification. 
    Registration includes tissue collection for cell culture kit. 
Workshop 2: Lab techniques for cell culture

9.00am – 5.00pm, 10–11 September 2026
Aimed at laboratory technicians and researchers undertaking cell culturing and cryopreserving. Topics include: 

  • Making media and feeding cells
  • How to set up tissue culture – explant/biopsy and collagenase techniques
  • How to passage cells from plates to flasks
  • Checking viability, visualisation of cell cultures and freezing cell lines
  • Minimum data requirement for cell culture cryobanking.

Invited speakers

 

Dr Camilla Di Nizo is a biologist, with expertise in animal cytogenetics and cell culture, focusing on the characterisation and conservation of biodiversity. She is currently a Junior Researcher at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, where she focuses on the genomic conservation of vertebrates, with an emphasis on reptiles. Her research aims to advance innovative strategies for preserving endangered species through the integration of cell-based and cytogenomic technologies, including the optimisation of cryopreservation protocols for somatic cells and gametes and the application of advanced cellular techniques to strengthen ex situ conservation programs. Over the past five years, she has led the establishment and management of the vertebrate cell culture bank at the Biobank of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB/ZFMK) in Bonn, Germany, building a strategic repository to safeguard the genetic heritage of biodiversity. Dr Di Nizo holds a PhD in genetics and evolutionary biology from the University of São Paulo, with research centred on chromosome evolution, molecular phylogeny and phylogeography to better understand diversification processes and species boundaries. She has also conducted extensive fieldwork across diverse Brazilian biomes.
Marlys Houck is the Elizabeth J.F. Williams Endowed Curator of the Frozen Zoo® at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where she oversees the organisation’s cell culture and cytogenetics laboratories. In this role, she manages the acquisition, cultivation and karyotyping of living cell lines that form one of the world’s most significant biodiversity banks. Her team’s work provides crucial insights into species identification, sex determination, chromosomal variation and genetic rescue strategies that support global conservation programs. Marlys holds a BS in biology from California State University, Fresno, and is certified as a Clinical Lab Specialist in Cytogenetics. She has authored numerous scientific publications and frequently shares her expertise with researchers and conservation partners worldwide, advancing the role of living cell banks in safeguarding threatened species.

Event contact

For any enquiries, please contact the conference organisers at Bodencryobanking2026@museum.vic.gov.au

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Workshop series

The Workshop Series supports researchers in Australia to run small specialist workshops that focus on current issues and advance Australian science and society.
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Boden research conferences

This fund supported a series of small specialist conferences in the biological sciences to enable active research workers in rapidly advancing fields to discuss current advances and problems.
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