Know more

FAO Webinar Series
Innovations in cryopreservation of animal genetic resources

Gene banking is becoming an increasingly important tool for the management of animal genetic resources. For this reason, in 2021, FAO developed guidelines on innovations in the conservation of animal genetic resources, the current version of which is available here.

The guidelines were prepared by an international team of scientists and genebank managers, many of whom were partners in the EU Horizon 2020 Innovative Management of Animal Genetic Resources (IMAGE) project.

The draft guidelines were presented to the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and to the 18th session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Commission requested FAO to organize awareness raising workshops and to support regional and sub-regional networks in building capacity for the implementation of the guidelines.

To this end, FAO organized a series of webinars on cryopreservation of animal genetic resources with the cooperation of the Nordic Genetic Resources Center. The webinar program, with links to live and recorded webinars, is available below.

Building a gene bank strategy, 18 May, 1 June
Implementation and organization
Choice of biological material to be preserved, 24 May
Economics of gene banking, 31 May
Developing and using gene bank collections, 28 June @ 16:00
Databases and documentation, 15 June @ 10:00
Legal issues: acquisition, storage and transfer of gene bank material
Innovations in cryoconservation of animal genetic resources, 28 June, 5 July

> Webinars | Animal genetics | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)

Focus

The H2020 IMAGE project "Innovative Management of Animal Genetic Resources" is a project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Its objective is to strengthen the use of genetic collections and improve the management of animal gene banks. IMAGE has developed genomic, biotechnological and bioinformatics methodologies for a better knowledge and exploitation of animal genetic resources. This consortium brought together 28 partners, including 3 SMEs, 3 NGOs, the FAO, 9 research institutions, 11 higher education and research institutions, and INRA Transfert, a subsidiary of INRAE, the coordinating partner.

This project was coordinated by Michèle Tixier-Boichard, Research Director at INRAE, UMR GABI.

Livrables : 

• Ethical approvals for the collection of personal data regarding the sociological analysis of the innovation challenges for animal resources
• Ethical advice for the choice of breeds to be conserved in gene banks
• Improved acceptance of technological innovation by the stakeholders up to the general public
• Status, regulations and needs of ABS in genetic collections
• Survey questionnaire germplasm and genomic collections
• Specifications for the development of a European web portal for genetic collections
• A standard multi-species chip for genomic assessment of collections
• Report on the conceptual model for IMAGE website
• Ethical approvals for the collection of personal data by the competent University Data Protection Officer

... https://www.imageh2020.eu 

Contact scientifique

• Michèle Tixier-Boichard (michele.tixier-boichard@inrae.fr)