About

I am a conservation biologist interested in the development and application of assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs), such as sperm cryopreservation and IVF to the conservation of wildlife.

My honours (Biological Sciences, Class I; 2016) and PhD (Biological Sciences; 2021) in the Conservation Biology Research Group at the University of Newcastle, Australia focused on development of ARTs in amphibians, which are experiencing severe declines worldwide. My PhD, titled “Development of sperm cryopreservation and assisted reproductive technologies for the conservation of threatened Australian tree frogs” focused on the hormonal induction and cryopreservation of sperm from Australian tree frogs (Pelodryadidae) and included the successful production of sexually mature individuals using cryopreserved sperm and IVF in both Litoria fallax and L. aurea. This research has potential to help manage genetic diversity in both captive and wild populations and reduce the cost of captive assurance colonies.

Following the unprecedented 2019/20 megafires in Australia, I was part of a team funded by DAWE to monitor population size and collect sperm from 10 fire-affected amphibian species in both burnt and unburnt sites along the East coast of Australia. Sperm cryopreservation was performed in the field, with samples transported for storage at the Taronga Cryodiversity bank. This project represents a crucial step towards applying laboratory research and developed ART protocols across wildlife conservation.

My post-doc at the Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center (Louisiana State University Agricultural Center) transferred these skills to a biomedical setting to help develop germplasm repository capabilities for the aquatic biomedical models the Mexican Axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum and the African Clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. This aids in preservation of valuable transgenic and mutant research lines developed by the National stock centers, Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center and National Xenopus Resource.

I have also collaborated on other projects that focus on biobanking sperm in reptiles and assessing the cost and benefits of applying biobanking to amphibian breeding programs. I also have an interest in applying these technologies to the conservation of other Australian wildlife, such as the koala, which is currently predicted to be extinct by 2050.

Rose works with an endangered amphibian, the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea). Photo: Dean Lenga

Publications

Establishment of a Practical Sperm Cryopreservation Pathway for the Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum): A Community-Level Approach to Germplasm Repository Development

Nicholas Coxe, Yue Liu, Lucía Arregui, Rose Upton, Sarah Bodenstein, Steven Randal Voss, Maria T Gutierrez-Wing, Terrence R Tiersch

Animals, vol. 14, 2024, p. 206

Integrating the Components Necessary for Germplasm Repository Program Development to Safeguard the Genetic Resources of Aquatic Species

Jack C. Koch, Lucía Arregui, Sarah Bodenstein, Teresa Gutierrez-Wing, Yue Liu, Rose Upton, Terrence R. Tiersch

Eds., Danilo P. Streit Jr., Tiantian Zhang, Estefania Paredes, Cryobiology for South American Neotropical Fish Species, Cryobiology for South American Neotropical Fish Species, chapter 1, CRC Press, 2024, pp. 1-26

Refrigerated storage and cryopreservation of hormonally induced sperm in the threatened frog, Litoria aurea

Rose Upton, Natalie E. Calatayud, Simon Clulow, Darcie Brett, Alana L. Burton, Kim Colyvas, Michael Mahony, John Clulow

Animal Reproduction Science, vol. 262(107416), 2024

Priority research needs to inform amphibian conservation in the Anthropocene

Evan H. Campbell Grant, Staci M. Amburgey, Brian Gratwicke, Victor Acosta-Chaves, Anat M. Belasen, David Bickford, Carsten A. Brühl, Natalie E. Calatayud, Nick Clemann, Simon Clulow, Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailovic, Jeff Dawson, David A. De Angelis, C. Kenneth Dodd Jr, Annette Evans, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Mattia Falaschi, Sergio Gonzalez-Mollinedo, David M. Green, Roseanna Gamlen-Greene, Richard A. Griffiths, Brian J. Halstead, Craig Hassapakis, Geoffrey Heard, Catharina Karlsson, Tom Kirschey, Blake Klocke, Tiffany A. Kosch, Sophia Kusterko Novaes, Luke Linhoff, John C. Maerz, Brittany A. Mosher, Katherine O'Donnell, Leticia M. Ochoa-Ochoa, Deanna H. Olson, Kristiina Ovaska, J. Dale Roberts, Aimee J. Silla, Tariq Stark, Jeanne Tarrant, Rose Upton, Judit Vörös, Erin Muths

Conservation Science and Practice, vol. 5, 2023, pp. e12988

Cryopreservation Cooling Rate Impacts Post-thaw Sperm Motility and Survival in Litoria booroolongensis

Rebecca J. Hobbs, Rose Upton, Natalie E. Calatayud, Aimee J. Silla, Jonathan Daly, Michael S. McFadden, Justine K. O’Brien

Animals, vol. 13, 2023, p. 3014

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