
National
Center for Genetic Resources Preservation to be Dedicated TodayBy David Elstein January 14, 2002Storing seeds in liquid nitrogen may
be the best way to preserve them, according to a 20- year study at the newly
named National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP)
in Fort Collins, Colo. Researchers can detect deterioration of seeds stored in
liquid nitrogen, even if the seeds were already old before they were put into
the nitrogen, according to the study. A dedication ceremony for renaming the center is scheduled for this
afternoon on the Colorado State
University campus. Among those scheduled to speak are Congressman Bob
Schaffer; Joseph Jen, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics,
U.S. Department of Agriculture; Edward B.
Knipling, Acting Administrator for the Agricultural Research Service, the
USDAs principal scientific research agency; and top university and city
officials. The NCGRP stores more than 450,000 separate samples of plants comprising
more than 10,000 species and 1,500 genera that are important to agriculture and
the environment. NCGRP is one of the largest gene banks in the world. Two years
ago, the center began housing the National Animal Germplasm Program,
which contains germplasm of beef and dairy cattle and sheep. The Center, operated by ARS, originally opened in 1958 as the National Seed
Storage Laboratory. The new name was approved in September 2001. The
centers mission is to preserve the base collection of the
National Plant Germplasm System and
to conduct research to develop new technologies for preservation of seed and
other plant genetic resources. As a back-up repository, the centers
primary function is to store germplasm that is grown and distributed from other
ARS genebanks that collectively compose the U.S. National Plant Germplasm
System. The germplasm is available for research purposes to scientists, breeders and
others from around the world. Such purposes include using the plant germplasm
to develop new varieties or to make sure plant and animal species do not die
out. Story contacts Plant Genetic Resources David Elstein U.S. Department of Agriculture | |