cryopreservation Archives - Center for Plant Conservation

As Seen on the Rare Plant Academy: Dormant Buds for Long-term Preservation

Posted on June 26, 2025 (June 30, 2025) by Shannon Fowler

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CPR-Plants: A model for conservation of endangered plant biodiversity

Climate change and biodiversity loss and are two closely intertwined events, which occur simultaneously and lead to serious losses of plants in ecosystems. Loss of habitats at an alarming rate has also seriously impacted the survival of several plant species of ecological significance. The Gosling Research Institute for Plant Preservation (GRIPP) (www.gripp.uoguelph.ca) is a unique […]

Rooting Quercus dumosa shoots in vitro and investigating the possible use of native mycorrhizal fungi to improve growth

Quercus dumosa, or the coastal sage scrub oak, faces numerous threats to its native range, such as fires, urban development, and climate change. Unfortunately, Q. dumosa’s acorns cannot survive the dry conditions required for seed banking, and living collections require considerable space. One alternative for ex situ conservation is tissue culture, in which microplants from many individuals […]

Save Plants: March 2024 Newsletter

Posted on March 21, 2024 (December 17, 2024) by Shannon Fowler

Quercus dumosa in flower. Photo by Caroline Iacuaniello

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The Huntington Cryobiotechnology Program: Magnolia Case

Posted on March 21, 2024 (March 21, 2024) by Shannon Fowler

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Conservation Champion: Dr. Joe Ree

Posted on March 20, 2024 (April 9, 2024) by Shannon Fowler

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As Seen on CPC’s Rare Plant Academy: Cryopreservation of Rare Plants Video Series

Posted on March 20, 2024 (March 21, 2024) by Shannon Fowler

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Asimina manasota in vitro

Asimina manasota plants growing in vitro at the Lindner Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (CREW). […]

Using Cryopreservation to Increase the Conservation Capacity of the Hawaiian Rare Plant Program

The Hawaiian Rare Plant Program (HRPP) uses ex-situ conservation technologies to safeguard endangered native Hawaiian plants from extinction. The HRPP is located at Lyon Arboretum, a University of Hawaii research unit, and is comprised of the Micropropagation Lab, Seed Conservation Lab, and Rare Plant Greenhouse. Each component of the HRPP plays a critical role in […]

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 […]

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