The Millennium Seed Bank - more seed projects

The projects below are related to seed germination and seed banking, and are managed by Millennium Seed Bank staff.

Hordeum marinum (sea barley)

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change

Adapting agriculture to climate change is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. There is, quite simply, no more important step we can take to prepare for climate change than to ensure that the crops that feed humanity are adapted.

 Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change


DIRECTS team outside MSB

Community Tree Seeds project

This project is aimed at enhancing the role and capacity of institutes in sub-Saharan Africa to assist with the conservation and sustainable use of native tree seeds of community value.

Community Tree Seeds project


Cryopreservation room at the MSB

Cryopreservation Network

The aim of this project is to create a network that brings together European scientists with an expertise and / or interest in plant cryopreservation for the development of efficient cryopreservation procedures.

Cryopreservation Network


MSB Difficult seeds training course

'Difficult' Seeds project

Kew and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) are working with seed banks in Africa to conserve plants used for food and agriculture, but which are difficult to conserve and/or use.

'Difficult' Seeds project


Paeonia cambessedesii in the wild

Ensuring the survival of endangered plants in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the world's most bio-diverse regions with 25,000 different plant species. The region has been classified as one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots. It contains almost one in ten of all known flowering plants on Earth, of which over half are found nowhere else in the world.

Ensuring the survival of endangered plants in the Mediterranean


MSB ENSCONET partners

European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET)

This project aims to optimise seed conservation practices and avoid the extinction of native species from Europe.The  network aims to make best use of time and resources by reducing the duplication of effort.

European Native Seed Conservation Network


Herbarium Wing C

Extinct Plants project

This project takes seeds from old Herbarium sheets and attempts to resurrect species which are now extinct in the wild

Extinct Plants project


Cattleya quadricolor

Orchid Seed Stores project

Orchids are being over-collected and many are threatened with extinction. This project aims to establish orchid seed banking around the globe using conventional seed banking techniques.

Orchid Seed Stores project


Internal structure of Prestoea acuminata var. montana seeds

Palm Seed Network

A network bringing together scientists from around the world working on palm seed biology research.

Palm Seed Network


UPP - healer interview

Useful Plants project

This project aims to increase the capacity of local communities to store and propagate plant species that are most useful to their wellbeing.

Useful Plants project


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