Background Cryopreservation is a key method of preservation of biological material for both
medical treatments and conservation of endangered species. In order to avoid cellular …

The lifespan or longevity of a seed is the time period over which it can remain viable. Seed
longevity is a complex trait and varies greatly between species and even seed lots of the …

Societal Impact Statement Eroding plant diversity has serious implications for the well‐being
of humanity and our planet. Conserving plants ex situ requires technologies that are rapidly …

Cryopreservation is the storage of viable cells, tissues, organs and organisms at ultra-low
temperatures, usually in liquid nitrogen to a minimum temperature of− 196° C. The term …

Seeds die inevitably but unexpectedly during storage and current understanding of seed
quality and storage conditions do not allow reliable means to predict or prevent this critical …

Many plants cannot vitrify themselves because they lack glassy state-inducing substances
and/or have high water content. Therefore, cryoprotectants are used to induce vitrification. A …

The behaviour of water in liquid and frozen states is largely dictated by its bipolar chemistry.
Its hydrogen atoms carry a slight net positive charge and act with unpaired “negatively …

Numerous environmental and endogenous factors affect the level of genetic diversity in
natural populations. Genetic variability is the cornerstone of evolution and adaptation of …

Orchids (Orchidaceae) are one of the most diverse plant groups on the planet with over
25,000 species. For over a century, scientists and horticulturalists have been fascinated by …

The recent acceleration of actions to conserve plant species using ex situ and in situ
strategies has revealed the need to understand how these two approaches might be better …