Phases and actions of the project
Innovative methods and techniques
The majority of partners conserve the plants «ex situ» in the form of seeds (after drying) within Seed Banks, at a storage temperature between +4ºC and –20ºC. These are the conventional conditions of conservation. However, for many species these conditions are not appropriate and the plants have to be conserved in another form, without forgetting that many species do not produce a sufficient number of seeds in order to be conserved in the Banks. Partner 4 (DGMN) has been working for many years with innovative conservation methods for plant material (mainly micropropagation and cryoconservation, or conservation in liquid nitrogen) and proposes in this phase to exchange this experience with all the other partners.
Seed bank. Jardí Botànic de Sóller.
Photo: Magdalena Vicenç |
Main micro propagation phases: sterilisation in autoclave, rinsing of propagation material with different substances and concentrations, culture preparation, propagation and closing of culture recipients. Photo: L. Minuto. |
Action 5.1 : Partnership training
This action will be implemented principally during the first meeting of the Project in Murcia; partner 4 (DGMN) will offer an educational seminar to the other partners and a guided visit of their installations. Moreover, partners that wish so will be able to send staff to get a practical training in Murcia for a period of 1 to 3 months.
Action 5.2 : Elaboration of appropriate protocols
After the elaboration of an initial list of species with those specific characteristics that make their conservation in the Banks, in the form of seeds, difficult or impossible, four partners will elaborate, together with the team of Murcia, the appropriate conservation strategies (cryoconservation techniques or micropropagation protocol).
Action 5.3 : Application of selected protocols
The protocols elaborated in action 5.2 for each species selected will be put in practice in the institutes of the partners who have proposed them or the institute of the partner of Murcia if the partner does not have the adequate installations.
Action 5.4 : Protocol validation and network uploading
The protocols will be finally validated and presented to the other partners. The results will be later published via web and eventually circulated by other means (articles, journals, conferences, etc.).