cryopreservation Archives - Center for Plant Conservation

As Seen on CPC’s Rare Plant Academy: An Introduction to Plant Clonal Cryopreservation

Posted on September 1, 2022 (September 6, 2022) by Shannon Fowler

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The Chemistry of Plant Cryoprotectants

Chemical solutions known as cryoprotectants are used to prepare plant shoot tips for preservation in liquid nitrogen. CSU’s Heidi Kreckel discusses the science of cryoprotectants, including their ability to form a glassy or “vitrified” state, which is key to preparing the cells for extreme storage conditions. This video was made possible thanks to the Institute […]

Trees and Shrubs in Growth Rooms and Dewars: the Power of Cryobiotechnology to Conserve Magnolias

The ex-situ conservation of magnolias plays a crucial role in preserving the species red-listed by IUCN, and it is generally limited to field collections. The cryobiotechnology (i.e., plant tissue culture and cryopreservation) can help safeguard the biodiversity of plants and reduce the cost of maintenance and the risk of loss for the collection. Studies on […]

Shoot Tips for Long-term Preservation

When genebanks must cryopreserve a diverse range of clonally propagated plants, it is often most effective to preserve their shoot tips–tiny growing points in their tissues. USDA’s Remi Bonnart discusses the circumstances for which shoot tip cryopreservation is appropriate, and shows how a variety of shoot tips preservation methods are used to preserve grape, strawberry, […]

Dormant Buds for Long-term Preservation

Temperate woody plants naturally form buds that enter a state of dormancy in the winter months. For genebanks preserving clonal material, it is advantageous to cryopreserve tissue in this state. CSU’s Katheryn Chen discusses the benefits and limitations to this approach, and shows how this process is used to preserve the genetic material of cherry […]

An Introduction to Plant Clonal Cryopreservation

Cryopreservation is a technology that allows genebanks to preserve plant genetic resources on a long-term basis. USDA’s Jennifer Kendall discusses how cryopreservation is used at the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation to preserve clonal material–that is tissue that contains the exact same genetic makeup as the source plant–in liquid nitrogen. This video was made […]

Pollen for Long-term Preservation

Pollen is an essential resource for plant breeding programs. Because of its widespread use, there is a great interest in preserving pollen within genebanks that conserve plant genetic diversity. USDA’s Ashley Shepherd discusses the research and storage efforts underway at the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, highlighting pollen from the genus Prunus. This video […]

Quercus dumosa, Nuttall’s Scrub Oak, Coastal Sage Scrub Oak

Screenshot of "Quercus dumosa, Nuttall's Scrub Oak, Coastal Sage Scrub Oak" video

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance postdoc, Dr. Joe Ree, presented some of his work with Quercus dumosa at the 2021 Channel Islands and California Native Oak Workshop. Dr. Ree is working with tissue cultures to try and establish a method of propagating this rare scrub oak. He hopes to further preserve the tissues using cryopreservation […]

Dr. Barbara Reed Interview: Developing Cryopreservation Protocols for Plants

Screenshot from 'Dr. Barbara Reed interview: Developing Cryopreservation Protocols for Plants'

Dr. Barbara Reed of the US Department of Agriculture, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, has spent her career working with tissue culture and cryopreservation of fruit crops. She was editor of a book, often referred to as ‘the Bible of Cryopreservation’, titled ‘Plant Cryopreservation: a Practical Guide‘. In this video, Dr. Joyce Maschinski questions her about […]

Dr. Bart Panis Interview: Developing Cryopreservation Protocols for Plants

Screenshot of 'Developing Cryopreservation Protocols for Plants'

Dr. Bart Panis is a renowned plant cryobiologist at Biodiversity International who developed a method of droplet vitrification. This protocol made it possible to cryopreserve the tropical banana, an incredibly difficult species to conserve in collections. In this interview, Dr. Joyce Maschinksi asks him about his methodology, how it can be used to cryopreserve other […]

Dr. Raquel Folgado Interview: How The Huntington set up its plant cryopreservation lab

Screenshot from 'How the Huntington Botanical Garden set up its cryopreservationlab'

In a recent interview conducted by Dr. Joyce Maschinski, plant cryobiologist Dr. Raquel Folgado describes how The Huntington Botanical Gardens set up a cryopreservation lab for research. She highlights the important equipment needed and explains that with only a small investment a botanical garden can increase the value of their collection in a very small […]

Dr. Hugh Pritchard: The Importance of Cryobiology for Plants

Screenshot of "The Importance of Cryobiology for Plants"

Dr. Hugh Pritchard is a renowned botanist at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. In this interview, conducted by Dr. Joyce Maschinski, he discusses how cryopreservation techniques are necessary to the conservation of important plant species where seed is unable to be stored using traditional seed banking methods. […]

What makes a good cryobiologist?

Screenshot of 'What does it take to be a good cryobiologist?'

Talented cryobiologists Bart Panis, Shin-Ichi Yamamoto, Meera Das, Daniel Ballesteros, Chris O’ Brian, and Rachel Folgado describe what they believe makes for a good cryobiologist. Among the many qualities they discuss are such attributes as patience, fine motor skills, dedication, enthusiasm, a desire to preserve material for future generations, and above all, passion. […]

Ex situ Conservation and Ontogenesis of Torreya taxifolia Embryos

Screenshot of Ex situ Conservation and Ontogenesis of Torreya taxifolia Embryos video

Neusa Steiner, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Emily Coffey, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Jason Ligon, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Lisa Hill, USDA-ARS, Emma Dorr, USDA-ARS, Laurie Blackmore, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Christina Walters, USDA-ARS Torreya taxifolia Arn (Taxaceae) is an ancestral evergreen tree on the brink of extinction. This dioecious plant is found in the Florida panhandle and is threatened by a fungal pathogen. […]

Highlights from the CPC Network and Field of Plant Conservation

Posted on September 28, 2021 (December 23, 2021) by Center for Plant Conservation

Image of Quercus dumosa by Joseph Ree

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The Tip of the Iceberg: What We Know and Don’t Know About Exceptional Plants

Screenshot from The Tip of the Iceberg: What We Know and Don’t Know About Exceptional Plants video

Valerie Pence, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Plant species that, either through seed availability or physiology, are unable to be conserved and recovered using conventional seed banking practice have been designated as exceptional plants. A definition of exceptionality has recently been put forward, describing four factors that contribute to this condition, depending on what step in […]

Why is Cryopreservation Important to Endangered Native Plants?

Cryopreservation, a method of storing tissues in liquid nitrogen, is becoming increasingly important to rare plant conservation. This is because many plant species, including large groups such as oaks, orchids, and bryophytes, are unable to be stored long term using more traditional seed banking methods. Using cryopreservation techniques, researchers are able to preserve greater crop […]

Why is Cryopreservation So Interesting?

Plant Conservationists have found that many plants are unable to be stored using traditional seed banking techniques. To address this issue, researchers are exploring the use of cryopreservation, the storing of tissues in liquid nitrogen, to preserve exceptional species. In this video scientists Daniela Impe, Christina Walters, and Karin Van Der Walt explain how they […]

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