Nicolas Leclerc, Evan Richardson, Colin Garroway, Sabine Mai, Mohammed Mostajo-Radji

Polar bears are widely recognized as indicators of rapid environmental change in the Arctic. Canada is home to approximately 65% of the global population, yet accelerating sea ice loss and increasing exposure to environmental stressors place the species at risk of significant population decline over the coming decades. As Arctic regions warm at nearly four times the global average, there is growing interest in complementary approaches that can help preserve genetic diversity and support evidence-informed conservation strategies.

Recent advances in cellular biology provide new opportunities to extend traditional wildlife research through renewable in vitro model systems. In this study, we describe the development of a primary fibroblast biobank derived from skin biopsies collected from wild polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba. The goal of this initiative is to create a cellular resource that reflects genetic diversity across Canadian and circumpolar populations and that may support future studies in conservation biology, environmental toxicology, and One Health research.

In collaboration with federal conservation programs, we established more than 90 independent polar bear fibroblast lines. Culture protocols were optimized for Arctic field conditions and adapted to enable long-term expansion. Cell lines were characterized using karyotyping, immunocytochemistry, functional assays, and genetic profiling. Comparisons with existing bear datasets confirmed species identity and chromosomal stability in the majority of lines.

This resource represents an initial step toward integrating cellular approaches into polar bear conservation research. By providing a renewable system for studying cellular responses to environmental stressors, it offers a foundation for future mechanistic investigations and may serve as a model for similar efforts in other species experiencing rapid environmental change.