2. What is a genebank?
Gene banks are a type of biorepository that preserves genetic material.
Gene banks are used to store and conserve the plant genetic resources of major
crop plants and their crop wild relatives.
Genetic material in a 'gene bank' is preserved in a variety of ways.
3. Purpose:
People save money in banks, in case of an emergency.
Genetic banks serve the similar purpose for scientists and farmers who work to
conserve the rare plants and animals.
Gene banks also preserve cells/organisms that host unusual gene variants.
Farmers could use the banked deposits — stored cells or tissues for restoring
genetic diversity or for introducing traits from other breeds/varieties.
4. What do
Genebanks do?
Genebanks conserve genetic resources.
Genebanks are intended to ensure that these
resources are used, whether it is in farmers’
fields, breeding programmes or in research
institutions.
6. 1. Seed Bank
The most widely used technique.
A seed bank preserves dried seeds by storing them at a very low temperature.
(Only for those that can bear low temp).
Spores are conserved in seed banks, but other seedless plants, such as tuber crops,
cannot be preserved this way.
The largest seed bank in world is the Millennium Seed Bank housed at the
Wellcome Trust Millennium Building (WTMB).
8. Merits & Demerits
The main advantages of seed gene banks are as follows:
A large number of germplasm can be stored at a small space.
Handling of germplasm is very easy in gene bank.
Germplasm can be stored under insect free environment.
There are also some drawbacks:
If there is failure of power supply, it may lead to loss of germplasm.
Seed of some recalcitrant species cannot be stored.
9. 2. In vitro bank
In this, buds and meristematic cells are preserved through the particular light and
temperature arrangements in a nutrient medium.
It is used to preserve seedless plants and plants that reproduce vegetatively.
In vitro storage is not always suitable for long-term conservation and requires
advanced infrastructure and equipment along with highly trained staff - adding to
the cost.
11. 3. Cryobank
Cryopreservation involves storing the living tissues at ultra-low temperature,
usually at –196°C in liquid nitrogen.
This is helpful for the conservation of species facing extinction.
Research work led to the development of protocols for cryopreservation of no less
than over 150 different plant species.
Examples: Banana (Musa spp.), coffee (Coffea arabica), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis)
and tea (Camellia sinensis).
13. 4. Field gene bank
• Collecting of materials and planting in the orchard or field in another location.
• It includes planting of plants to conserve genes.
• An ecosystem is created artificially for this purpose.
• We can compare different specie plants and study them in detail, by using this
method.
• Costly and germplasm is lost by biotic and abiotic factors.
15. Merits & Demerits
Field gene banks have following benefits:
It gives chances for evolution without any interruption for most of the economic
characters.
It can be used directly in breeding program.
Demerits:
Germplasm is lost by biotic and abiotic factors.
Germplasm requires a maintenance plan that is costly.
16. References
• On practical and theoretical differences between a storage and a gene bank, see Nicole C. Karafyllis (ed.):
Theorien der Lebendsammlung. Pflanzen, Mikroben und Tiere als Biofakte in Genbanken (in German),
Freiburg: Karl Alber 2018 (Lebenswissenschaften im Dialog Vol. 25) ISBN 978-3-495-48975-8
• Drori, Jonathan (May 2009). "Why we're storing billions of seeds". TED2009. TED. Archived from the original
on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
• "In vitro bank". cropgenebank.sgrp.cgiar.org. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
• "Cryo bank". CGIAR Genetic Resources Systems: Phase 2. Collective Action for the Rehabilitation of Global
Public Goods. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
• Ellis, R.H., T.D. Hong and E.H. Roberts (1985). Handbook of Seed Technology for Genebanks Vol. II:
Compendium of Specific Germination Information and Test Recommendations. IBPGR (now Bioversity
International). Rome, Italy. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008.
• Engels, Jan; Visser, Bert, eds. (2003). A Guide to Effective Management of Germplasm Collections. CABI,
IFPRI, IPGRI, SGRP. Archived from the original on 25 May 2007. 174 p.
• Kameswara, N., J. Hanson, M. E. Dulloo, K. Ghosh, A. Nowell and M. Larinde. (2006). Manual of Seed
Handling in Genebanks. Bioversity International, CTA (Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural
Cooperation), FAO, ILRI. Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. 147 p.
• Koo, B., Pardey, P. G., Wright, B. D.; et al. (2004). Saving Seeds. CABI, IFPRI, IPGRI, SGRP. Archived from the
original on 11 December 2008.
