Cryopreservation

Long-term storage of clonal germplasm can be taken a step beyond regular in vitro culture by freezing tiny shoot tips (meristems) and pollen in liquid nitrogen. Plant meristems must first be pretreated with a cryoprotectant (antifreeze) and frozen in a very controlled manner before being plunged into liquid nitrogen. In liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees Celsius) plant tissue can be stored indefinitely in a state of suspended animation.

Evaluation of the response of repository genera to this treatment is underway. Meristems of pear accessions are cryopreserved and shipped to the National Seed Storage Lab for long term storage. Two species of hazelnut (Corylus) are stored as cryopreserved embryonic axes.

• NCGR cryopreservation research activities and publications
• Society for cryobiology website
• Plant Conservation Cryobiology at University of Abertay, Dundee, Scotland

  Web Adapted Powerpoint Presentations:

• Cryopreservation using Encapsulation-Dehydration - by Barbara Reed, 2004.
• Cryopreservation using Vitrification with PVS2 - by Barbara Reed, 2004.
• Cryopreservation using Slow Cooling with PGD - by Barbara Reed, 2004.

  Scientific Cooperation Research Program - Critical Point Evaluation of Cryopreservation Protocols for Plant Germplasm Conservation

  • Project Plan
  • Experiment Design
  • Initial Questionaire