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cryopreservation
Preserving tissues by storing in liquid nitrogen at temperatures below –130°C.
The Huntington Cryobiotechnology Program: Magnolia Case
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Conservation Champion: Dr. Joe Ree
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As Seen on CPC’s Rare Plant Academy: Cryopreservation of Rare Plants Video Series
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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
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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
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
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
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
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 […]
The Importance of Cryobiology for Plants with Dr. Hugh Pritchard
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. […]