On June 23, Elinor Bremman, Head of International Partnerships at the UK's Millennium Seed Bank (MSB), led a delegation to Beijing Forestry University for high-level talks with the National Facility Preservation Bank for Forestry and Grassland Germplasm Resources (China's National Seed Bank). The discussions focused on cutting-edge seed preservation strategies and global biodiversity initiatives.

At the symposium, China's National Seed Bank presented BFU's profile and its progress in preserving forest/grassland germplasm, while MSB outlined its conservation legacy and global initiatives. Both parties then exchanged views on key technical issues: genetic zoning for seed collection, intermediate-term storage protocols, high-throughput analysis platforms, utilization of endangered species resources, and international cooperation frameworks.

The National Seed Main Bank will leverage this collaboration to advance its "world-class preservation facility" vision through shared cryopreservation technology for recalcitrant seeds, cross-continental species recovery projects and co-developed training modules for Global South conservationists.

Housed at Wakehurst Place since 2000, MSB safeguards 2.4 billion seeds from 40,000+ species across 100 countries, becoming a well-known wild plant backup system. Its 70 scientists support global conservation through seed banking research and capacity building.

Written by Liu Jingwen
Translated and edited by Song He
Reviewed by Yu Yangyang