Presentation given by Ann Tutwiler, Director General, Bioversity International, at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault Anniversary Event, February 2018. This presentation outlines the results of a feasibility study for a Global Cryo-Collection of crops that cannot be conserved by seed. These include banana, cacao, cassava, coconut, coffee, potato and yams. These crops either don’t produce conventional seeds, like bananas, or because the seeds they do produce do not always resemble their parents, like potatoes and many other roots and tubers making it impossible to reproduce them. Cryopreservation is safe and reliable and dependable. In cryopreservation, plants are stored in in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 °C, a temperature so cold that it effectively stops all the living processes within the plant tissue, freezing it forever in time. Plants can then be regenerated from tiny stored samples and grown into whole plants. This study was commissioned by Bioversity International, the International Potato Center (CIP) and the Global Crop Diversity Trust with financial support from Australia, Germany and Switzerland. Read it here: https://www.bioversityinternational.org/e-library/publications/detail/feasibility-study-for-a-safety-back-up-cryopreservation-facility-independent-expert-report-july-2017/

1. Feasibility Study for a Global Cryo-Collection
Ann Tutwiler, Director General, Bioversity International
Monday 26 February 2018

2. Presentation Overview
• The case for a Global Cryo-Collection
• What is Cryopreservation?
• The Feasibility Study Conclusions
Cryopreservation tanks at the International Institute
of Tropical Agriculture. Credit: IITA
Excision of a banana meristem at the International
Musa Transit Centre. Credit: Bioversity International
Cryopreservation process at the International
Potato Center. Credit: CIP

3. The Case for a Global Cryo-Collection
National Genebanks
conserve about 6.6 million
of the total 7.4 million
accessions held
worldwide.
11 CGIAR Genebanks
collectively
conserve >750,000
accessions.
The Svalbard Global
Seed Vault contains
>5000 crop species,
farmers’ land races,
breeding material and wild
plants.
?

4. The Case for a Global Cryo-Collection:
Many Critical Food and Nutrition Security Crops Cannot
be Conserved in Perpetuity by Seeds
Annually 1 billion tonnes of these crops are produced globally, valued at US$100 billion
(FAOSTAT)

5. The Case for a Global Cryo-Collection:
There is no Long-term Global Backup
We can conserve these crops in the
short to medium term as plantlets,
or in field collections.
Many existing collections are at risk
from natural disasters and conflicts.
In the long term, this method is
risky, costly and time-consuming.
We need an alternative method to
secure these crops forever.
45,000 accessions were held at the Philippine National
Genebank – including varieties of maize, mungbean,
tomato, aubergine, yam, soybean, sorghum and cowpea.
70% were destroyed in a single Thursday afternoon in
2006, by a typhoon. The remaining collection was also
damaged by fire in 2012.

6. The Case for a Global Cryo-Collection:
Cryopreservation is Safe, Reliable and Feasible
CGIAR Centers – notably Bioversity
International, CIAT, CIP and IITA – have
cryopreserved collections.
Other genebanks and institutions also
engaged in cryobanking including Japan and
USDA.
Bioversity International and KU Leuven with
support of the Crop Trust, developed
protocols for >30 species.
Cryopreservation offers a solution for the
long-term conservation of other crops that
cannot be conserved by seed.
Musa varieties held in the cryopreservation lab at the International
Transit Centre, Belgium. Credit: Bioversity International
Cryopreservation at the International Potato Center, Peru. Credit:
CIP

7. What is Cryopreservation?
Storing plant materials at the ultra-
low temperature of liquid nitrogen
(-196°C):
• Halts all biological, physical and
chemical processes
• Avoids the formation of ice
crystals which can damage
membrane structures and kill the
cells
Cryopreservation tanks at The International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture. Credit: IITA

8. What is Cryopreservation? A Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: You need in vitro plants
Step 2: Excise meristem from which a
whole new plant can be regenerated
Step 3: Expose meristem to solutions with
a high concentration of compounds to
gently withdraw water from cells
Step 4: Plunge tissues into liquid nitrogen
for extreme rapid freezing
Meristem from a potato. Credit: CIP
Banana stored in vitro. Credit: Bioversity International

9. The Feasibility Study Conclusions
Multi-partner and multi-disciplinary
task force:
1: Assessment of current and future
potential use
2: Analysis of the state of
conservation of propagated and
recalcitrant seed species
3: Policy and technical requirements
for the location and operation
4: Costs of establishing and running
a safety back-up cryopreservation
facility

10. The Feasibility Study Conclusions:
Few Collections Cryopreserved
Percentage of the total holdings of 15 institutes who responded to the survey. The data
represents 29 crops that are maintained in cryopreservation, in vitro culture and in the field.
66%
46%
15%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Field In vitro Cryopreserved
%oftotalnumberofaccessionsinthecollections

11. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
*includes artichoke, hop & grapes,
and other fruit trees & berries
The Feasibility Study Conclusions:
Narrow Range of Crops in Cryo-Collections
Percentage representation of different crops
in the cryopreserved collections of the 15
institutes
%
Have collections >100 accessions

12. The Feasibility Study Conclusions:
Lack of Budget & Capacity Are Major Challenges
Difficulties faced by 20 institutes who responded to the survey on implementing cryopreservation
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Other technical issues
Lack of equipment
Protocol issues
Lack of skilled
personnel
Insufficient budget

13. The Feasibility Study Conclusions:
Case for a Global Cryo-Collection
• Cryopreservation of some important
species hampered by poor in vitro
protocols and low survival rates after
cryopreservation
• 100,000 unique accessions at risk of loss
The study concludes that:
“A major global initiative is
urgently needed to accelerate the
development and implementation
of crop cryopreservation.”

14. The Feasibility Study Conclusions:
Recommended Policies for Governance
Rights of ownership and control over deposited materials remain with
depositing institution under a black-box agreement.
Operations overseen by international advisory council and technical
committee.
Operates within framework of Plant Treaty, hosted in a country that has
ratified it.
Deposits managed by an institute engaged in plant genetic resource
conservation, with expertise in cryopreserving different kind of crops.

15. The Feasibility Study Conclusions:
Practical Considerations for Location
Successful long-term back-up Global
Cryo-Collection will require:
• Constant monitoring of all critical equipment.
• Uninterrupted power, security and access control
systems.
• One large storage container with space to expand to
store 100,000 accessions (8-12 cryotanks).
• Secure source of liquid nitrogen and appropriate
storage systems.
• Easy access with close link with training facilities for
capacity strengthening.
Photocredit:http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Location-Place-Travel-Map-
Pointer-Pin-Icon-1864379

16. From Feasibility to Reality – Call to Action for:
A task force to evaluate proposals
for hosting the Cryo-Collection
Interested parties to prepare bids
CGIAR Centers (and others)
to propose a location
Donor commitment

17. In Partnership With:

18. Thank You
For more information, contact:
David Ellis
Head of Genebank, Program Leader, Conserving Biodiversity for
the Future, CIP
D.Ellis@cgiar.org|
Charlotte Lusty
Head of Programs, Genebank Platform Coordinator, Crop Trust
charlotte.lusty@croptrust.org
Bart Panis
Senior Scientist, Bioversity International
b.panis@cgiar.org