Latest revision as of 13:16, 7 February 2024

June 20, 2016, half day, morning session

"Workshop - Documentation of environmental samples and eDNA"

Presented by: Gabi Droege, Jonas Zimmermann (GGBN/Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin), Dmitry Schigel, Siro Masinde (GBIF)

The GGBN Data Portal has established well working data flows for genomic and ancient DNA samples, including voucher specimens, tissue samples, DNA samples as well as resulting sequences and publications. Environmental DNA information with its thousands of taxa associated with a single sample currently can neither be provided properly for GGBN nor GBIF. In general crosslinks between species occurrences, samples, species evidence based on sequences and links to these sequences are missing on a global scale. In recent years, a number of initiatives have been working towards finding solutions for this problem, e.g., INSDC, GGBN and GBIF. The recently implemented sample-event data publishing standard developed by GBIF and EU BON does not yet adequately cater for publishing metagenomic data. Dealing with different types of DNA (aDNA, gDNA, eDNA) is essential and closely related to user friendly search and display functionalities.

The goal of this workshop is to get an overview of existing solutions for environmental samples and associated metadata from other initiatives and portals. Furthermore GGBN will present its ideas and prototype based on the GGBN Data Standard and a diatom eBarcoding case study. Data publishing solutions as well as data access needs for a variety of users including researchers, conservationists and policy makers will be discussed.

We will also present first results of a GBIF/GGBN survey about user requirements for environmental sample data in portals like GBIF and GGBN. The workshop is free of charge and open to all attendees. It can be selected during registration.

Time: June 20 9.00 - 12.00 am (in parallel to all excursions!)

Venue: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum

Fee: no fees

Please use public transport (40' from hotel), you can book this workshop during registration.

June 20, 2016, half day, afternoon session

"Workshop - GGI Gardens"

Presented by: Morgan Gostel and Vicki Funk (National Museum of Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution)

The Global Genome Initiative (GGI) was founded with the goal of collecting and preserving genome-quality tissue samples from at least one species belonging to each family and 50% of the genera of species on Earth. The plant branch of the tree of life can be sampled in two ways: gardens and native vegetation. GGI Gardens was founded to collect and preserve specimens from arboreta, botanic gardens, and greenhouses (gardens), which contain an incredible amount of plant diversity in their living collections. Of course this should be followed by expeditions to collect the missing genera, but for now the program seeks to maximize the resources that are so carefully preserved in gardens around the world.

GGI Gardens was initiated in January 2015 as a collaboration among five gardens (Smithsonian Gardens and the Smithsonian Department of Botany Greenhouse, United States Botanic Garden, United States National Arboretum, and the US Department of Agriculture National Germplasm Resources) in the Washington DC (USA) area. Since then, GGI Gardens has grown considerably through partnership with gardens from around the world greatly expanding the possible number of taxa preserved.

GGI Gardens continues to expand globally to target, sample, and preserve vouchered plant genomes around the world. The workshop will include a presentation on the progress and future prospects of GGI Gardens, a training program that will include best practices for GGI Gardens Member Organizations, a synthesis of what is available globally in gardens, and a question and answer session. We welcome representatives from any arboretum, garden, or greenhouse, as well as herbarium curators interested in how this can impact their efforts. All that are attending GGBN 2016 or SPNHC 2016 may join the workshop and participate in the discussion. Attendance is free!

Time: June 20 2.00 - 5.00 pm (in parallel to all excursions!)

Venue: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum

Fee: no fees

Please use public transport (40' from hotel), you can book this workshop during registration.

June 21, 2016, half day, morning session

"Workshop - Advances in cryopreservation methods for microorganisms and plants"

Presented by: Charlotte Crahay, Olga Chepurnova, John Day, Wim Vyverman and Annick Wilmotte (Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms)

Cryopreservation is now considered as the best 'ex situ' preservation approach for microorganisms. However, this is still problematic for some taxonomic groups. The subject of this workshop will be to provide an overview of recent applications of preservation methods to organisms considered as delicate or difficult to preserve. The BCCM/DCG and BCCM/ULC collections of diatoms and cyanobacteria will present results from the BRAIN-be project PRESPHOTO on the cryopreservation of their strains. Participants are welcome to present their data and share their experience with cryopreservation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms and plants. The workshop is free of charge and open to all attendees. It can be selected during registration.

Time: June 21 9.00 - 12.00 am

Venue: Museum für Naturkunde

Fee: no fees

Please use public transport (25' from hotel), you can book this workshop during registration.

June 25, 2016, half day, afternoon session

"Access and Benefit Sharing" in Natural History Collections – implementation and practical management

Presented by: Dirk Neumann (The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Munich, Germany) and Peter Giere (Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany)

Originally intended as a tool against "biopiracy", Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) has become a reality over the past years for collection managers and researchers alike. In order to obtain access to specimens in the field, legally binding agreements need to be signed in countries with access legislation and these contracts stipulate the scope of all subsequent utilization of the material collected. The agreements made under ABS need to be carefully observed and have to remain traceable with the respective collection specimens. This workshop looks into the nature of ABS and its origins, the Convention of Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol and provides practical advice for those, who work with specimens collected in signatory countries after 2014.

Time: June 25 half day, afternoon session

Venue: Museum für Naturkunde

Fee: 40 €

Bus pick up location: Andel’s Hotel Lobby

Note: The workshop is a shared event and is organized together with SPNHC. If you want to register for GGBN you can book the workshop during registration.

More Conference Information

GGBN Conference 2016