News published: 12 January 2023

Botanic gardens play an enormous role in achieving global conservation goals, increasingly via conservation genomics. The molecular revolution has transformed the landscape of plant biology research with a series of genomics projects of huge taxonomic scope, launched in the last decade. They all rely on easy access to appropriate samples, and botanic gardens are one excellent source of such material. However, until recently, scientists seeking genomic samples for research had no central access point to simplify their search.  

The Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) has sought to plug this gap through the creation and management of a globally distributed database of genomic samples linked to voucher specimens – the GGBN Data Portal. The portal provides researchers with a one-stop entrance to high-quality, well-documented, legally-obtained DNA and tissue samples that are compliant with access- and benefit-sharing agreements (not least the Nagoya Protocol). GGBN members contribute to the Data Portal, which is globally searchable, while samples remain the property of, and properly attributed to, the contributing member.  

Image credit: Donald E Hurlbert, Smithsonian Institution

To date 97 organisations have joined GGBN, mainly natural history collections, botanical gardens, and seed banks. They are cooperating with key stakeholders, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER), to provide tools and infrastructures for traceable and trackable molecular research, and ultimately contributing towards successful implementation of the Nagoya Protocol.