Thomas Hildebrandt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thomas B. Hildebrandt (born 1963, Berlin, Germany) is a German veterinarian researcher dedicated to species conservation. He heads the Department of Reproduction Management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin[1] and holds a full professorship for Wildlife Reproduction Medicine at the veterinary faculty of the Freie Universität Berlin.[2]

Research[edit]

Thomas Hildebrandt pioneered the use of ultrasound in zoo and wild animal species, especially for reproductive research and Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) since the 1990s.[3] He was involved in the discovery and description of the elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV)[4] and, beyond basic research on elephant biology[5][6] and reproduction,[7] established a successful artificial insemination program for zoo elephants including the use of wild African elephant semen[8] which led to the birth of 38 African and Asian elephant calves by 2021[9] Thomas Hildebrandt leads the ongoing endeavour “BioRescue[10] of an international team of researchers to save the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) from extinction, of which currently only two infertile females remain, by using Assisted Reproductive Technologies and stem cell-based approaches.[11][12] This ambitious project receives funding by the BMBF and is aimed at being used as a blueprint for the rescue of further critically endangered species.

Awards[edit]

  • Panda Personality of the Year (2019)[13]
  • Conservation Legacy Award, Pittsburg Zoo & PPG Aquarium, USA (2015)[14]

Media[edit]

  • 24.11.2021 | BBC Northern white rhinos: Longleat's rhinos help species avoid extinction[15]
  • 14.04.2020 | BBC Northern white rhinos: The audacious plan that could save a species[16]
  • 08.12.2019 | BBC These Two Rhinos Are The Last Of Their Kind | Seven Worlds, One Planet | BBC Earth[17]
  • 23.08.2019 | The Standard: Experts harvest eggs to save dying rhino species[18]
  • 04.07.2018 | The New York Times: Rhino Embryos Made in Lab to Save Nearly Extinct Subspecies[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Thomas Hildebrandt - Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research". www.izw-berlin.de.
  2. ^ https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/presse/expertendienst/themen/natur-umwelt/tiermedizin/index.html
  3. ^ Hildebrandt, T. B.; Hermes, R.; Jewgenow, K.; Göritz, F. (January 1, 2000). "Ultrasonography as an important tool for the development and application of reproductive technologies in non-domestic species". Theriogenology. 53 (1): 73–84. doi:10.1016/S0093-691X(99)00241-1. PMID 10735063 – via ScienceDirect.
  4. ^ Richman, L. K.; Montali, R. J.; Garber, R. L.; Kennedy, M. A.; Lehnhardt, J.; Hildebrandt, T.; Schmitt, D.; Hardy, D.; Alcendor, D. J.; Hayward, G. S. (February 19, 1999). "Novel endotheliotropic herpesviruses fatal for Asian and African elephants". Science. 283 (5405): 1171–1176. Bibcode:1999Sci...283.1171R. doi:10.1126/science.283.5405.1171. PMID 10024244 – via PubMed.
  5. ^ Hutchinson, John R.; Delmer, Cyrille; Miller, Charlotte E.; Hildebrandt, Thomas; Pitsillides, Andrew A.; Boyde, Alan (December 23, 2011). "From Flat Foot to Fat Foot: Structure, Ontogeny, Function, and Evolution of Elephant "Sixth Toes"". Science. 334 (6063): 1699–1703. Bibcode:2011Sci...334R1699H. doi:10.1126/science.1211437. PMID 22194576. S2CID 206536505 – via CrossRef.
  6. ^ https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(21)01738-3.pdf
  7. ^ Hildebrandt, Thomas; Drews, Barbara; Gaeth, Ann P; Goeritz, Frank; Hermes, Robert; Schmitt, Dennis; Gray, Charlie; Rich, Peter; Streich, Wolf Juergen; Short, Roger V; Renfree, Marilyn B (February 7, 2007). "Foetal age determination and development in elephants". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 274 (1608): 323–331. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3738. PMC 1702383. PMID 17164195.
  8. ^ Hildebrandt, T. B.; Hermes, R.; Saragusty, J.; Potier, R.; Schwammer, H. M.; Balfanz, F.; Vielgrader, H.; Baker, B.; Bartels, P.; Göritz, F. (October 1, 2012). "Enriching the captive elephant population genetic pool through artificial insemination with frozen-thawed semen collected in the wild". Theriogenology. 78 (6): 1398–1404. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2012.06.014. PMID 22898009 – via ScienceDirect.
  9. ^ Hildebrandt, THOMAS BERND; Goeritz, FRANK (January 1, 2023). "Chapter 94 - Artificial Insemination in Elephants". In Miller, Eric; Lamberski, Nadine; Calle, Paul (eds.). Fowler' s Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine Current Therapy, Volume 10. W.B. Saunders. pp. 655–660. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-82852-9.00094-0. ISBN 9780323828529 – via ScienceDirect.
  10. ^ "Home | Biorescue". www.biorescue.org.
  11. ^ Hildebrandt, Thomas B.; Hermes, Robert; Colleoni, Silvia; Diecke, Sebastian; Holtze, Susanne; Renfree, Marilyn B.; Stejskal, Jan; Hayashi, Katsuhiko; Drukker, Micha; Loi, Pasqualino; Göritz, Frank; Lazzari, Giovanna; Galli, Cesare (July 4, 2018). "Embryos and embryonic stem cells from the white rhinoceros". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 2589. Bibcode:2018NatCo...9.2589H. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04959-2. PMC 6031672. PMID 29973581.
  12. ^ Hildebrandt, Thomas B.; Hermes, Robert; Goeritz, Frank; Appeltant, Ruth; Colleoni, Silvia; de Mori, Barbara; Diecke, Sebastian; Drukker, Micha; Galli, C.; Hayashi, K.; Lazzari, G.; Loi, Pasqualino; Payne, J.; Renfree, Marilyn; Seet, Steven; Stejskal, Jan; Swegen, A.; Williams, Suzannah A.; Zainuddin, Zainal Zahari; Holtze, Susanne (July 15, 2021). "The ART of bringing extinction to a freeze – History and future of species conservation, exemplified by rhinos". Theriogenology. 169: 76–88. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.04.006. PMID 33940218. S2CID 233719735.
  13. ^ "- Cérémonie officielle des Giant Panda Global Awards 2019 - Officiële..." Getty Images.
  14. ^ "Pittsburgh Zoo Awards First-Ever Legacy Conservation Award For Work With African Elephants". 90.5 WESA. May 27, 2015.
  15. ^ "Northern white rhinos: Longleat's rhinos help species avoid extinction". BBC News. November 24, 2021.
  16. ^ "Northern white rhinos: The audacious plan that could save a species". BBC News. April 13, 2020.
  17. ^ "These Two Rhinos Are The Last Of Their Kind | Seven Worlds, One Planet | BBC Earth" – via www.youtube.com.
  18. ^ PLC, Standard Group. "Experts harvest eggs to save dying rhino species". The Standard.
  19. ^ Yin, Steph (July 4, 2018). "Rhino Embryos Made in Lab to Save Nearly Extinct Subspecies". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.