DNA repository for wild rice relatives

The conservation of plant genetic resources is important and it is essential that many diverse methods are adopted including maintenance in natural conditions and representation in ex-situ collections. DNA Banks store extracted plant genomic DNA which is made available to researchers for phylogenetics, phylogeographics, population studies, gene discovery, pre-emptive breeding and marker development. The establishment of DNA banks facilitates high through put analysis of plant genomes by making widely available DNA from large numbers of plant accessions. The Australian Plant DNA Bank is an example of a plant DNA Bank which aims to preserve representative genetic information from the Australian flora and cultivated species. Information regarding the species in this collection is available via the World Wide Web (www.dnabank.com.au). In this collection DNA from all individuals from rare species and species of economic importance are also being stored. There is a requirement for DNA banks to develop appropriate policies for access and benefit sharing and tools for automating sample and data handling. International networking of DNA banks will be a key step in linking genomics tools to global pant diversity and ensuring that the protocols are standardised. The operations, technical issues, and benefits of a plant DNA bank will be discussed.