GGBN Conference 2025/Program

Program

Download GGBN 2025 Program and Abstract Book

Most of the presentations are now available through the GGBN Document Library as open access docs, some are available in the library only. Links are provided below. Presentations with restricted access can be located on the Document Library under the Category “GGBN Conferences,” Subcategory “GGBN 2025 Conference". Please contact library@ggbn.org to request a library account.

Day 1 – 29 September 2025

(times to be confirmed)	Excursion to Boulders Beach
18:00 - 29:00	GGBN Ice Breaker

Day 2 – 30 September 2025

08:00 - 08:45	Registration opens
08:45 - 09:00	Welcome by SANBI Management
09:00 - 09:30	Keynote Address: The Global Biodiversity Framework as a Context for Sustainable Biodiversity Biobanks in South Africa - Prof. Michelle Hamer
09:30 - 11:00	Session 2.1 Lightning Talks for Participating Biobanks Chairs - Katie Barker and Jonas Astrin This session provides participants the opportunity to share information on theirbiobanks / molecular collections, including facilities and infrastructure,interoperability, address issues related to long-term sustainability, address challenges around sample and data quality. Use cases can be presented, or experiences shared about biobank planning, repository relocation, etc. For this conference, African biobanks are particularly encouraged to introduce themselves, but of course any biobank is welcome.
	Biobanking for Biodiversity: Processes, Access, and Applications - Francinah Keneilwe Mosupye
	Coral Hospitals as Biobanking Centers: Insights from the NMMBA Model as a Strategic Response to Global Warming and Climate Change - Chiahsin Lin
	ARC-Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plant in Vitro and Seed Genebank Collections: Safeguarding Crop Diversity - Lindiwe Mokgakane
	Safeguarding citrus diversity - Elize Jooste
	Building plant repositories for biodiversity research and conservation. A case of Tooro Botanical Gardens, Uganda - Mutegeki Alislam Said Musa
	A review of biobanking activities for plant biodiversity in Rwanda - Pascal Sibomana
	Preserving Aquatic Biodiversity: The Role of the NRF-SAIAB Biobank in Addressing Conservation and Research Gaps - Seshnee Pillay
	Improving Sample Management at the NHM Biobank - Heather Avrili
	Beyond the biobank laboratory, showcasing game capture operation to acquire biological samples - Nkotasi Mnisi
	Biobank for biodiversity: The SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Biobank - Zinhle Manda
	Genomic Infrastructure for Chile: Design and Establishment of a Biobank through the 1000 Chilean Genomes Project - Juliana Vianna De Abreu
11:00 - 11:30	Tea Break
11:30 - 13:00	Session 2.2 Biodiversity Rich Regions of the World Chair - Puseletso Johnston This session will explore the complex challenges and ethical dilemmas associated with biobanking in biodiversity-rich regions, with a particular focus on Africa. As one of the most biologically diverse continents, Africa holds vast genetic resources that are vital for scientific research, conservation, and innovation in healthcare and agriculture. However, biobanking in these regions is fraught with challenges, including regulatory gaps, resource constraints, and issues surrounding access, benefit-sharing, and indigenous knowledge protection.
	Hidden Biodiversity: Zoos and Aquariums as Gateways to Conservation Science - Anna Mekarska
	Biobanking in Mexico: Current Status & Perspectives - Gilberto Ocampo
	1KSA - Decoding South Africa’s Biodiversity - Shane Murray
	Inventory and sorting of the microbial collections in the Biobank of the Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire - Kouame Ambroise Kintossou
	South African Rhizobium Culture Collection a Biobank for Future Food Biosecurity - Francina Bopape
	Saving South Africa’s Seeds: Natures Time Capsules, Preserved for Future Generations - Victoria Wilman
13:00 - 13:45	Lunch Break - Lunch Talk: Avantor - Sandra Krause
	Session II Environmental Samples and Data Chairs - Karen James, Rachel Meyer, Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds, Jonas Astrin
15:20 - 15:30	Connecting environmental samples to a biodiversity information system to make data accessible - Beth Kaplin, Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management,University of Rwanda	PDF VIDEO
15:30 - 15:40	Towards inclusivity in molecular method standardization for biodiversity assessment - Kristian Meissner, Finnish Environment Institute, Syke	PDF VIDEO
15:40 - 15:50	National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Biorepository - Rebecca Pugh, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division	PDF VIDEO
15:50 - 16:00	Environmental specimen banks in research and regulation for a better environmental quality - Jan Koschorreck, The German Environment Agency	PDF
16:00 - 16:10	Taxonomic diversity and distribution patterns of microorganisms in the CBUDES Biological Collection: Biobank of microorganisms from northeastern Colombia - Natalia Bravo-Granados, Diversidad Taxonómica y Patrones de Distribución de Microorganismos en la Colección CBUDES	VIDEO
16:10 - 16:20	Maine-eDNA: a case study for large-scale environmental sampling, metadata collection anddata management in one of the world’s fastest-warming ocean regions - Karen James, University of Maine	PDF VIDEO
16:20 - 16:30	Summary of our experience in application of remote techniques for environmental sample collection - Blagoy Uzunov, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” Faculty of Biology, Departmentof Botany	PDF VIDEO
16:30 - 16:40	CALeDNA: Environmental collections to enable landscape biodiversity surveys and models ofcommunity change - Rachel Meyer, University of California CALeDNA Program	VIDEO
16:40 - 16:50	Strengthening global-change science by integrating aeDNA with paleoecoinformatics - John Williams, University of Wisconsin Madison	VIDEO
16:50 - 17:00	Diatoms, a model group for DNA Barcoding - Belen Escobari, Botanischer Garten undBotanisches Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin	PDF VIDEO

Day 2 – 18.10.2023

	Session III – Cell Banking and Culture Collections Chairs - Oliver Ryder, Jonas Astrin and Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds
09:00 - 09:13	The UK Crop Microbiome Cryobank – Advancing Microbiome Research for Sustainable - Agriculture - Rodrigo Taketani, Rothamsted Research	PDF VIDEO
09:13 - 09:26	Strategy for the Biobanking of Potato Genetic Resources at the IPK Genebank - Manuela Nagel, Leibniz-Institut (IPK)	VIDEO
09:26 - 09:39	South African National Collection of Fungi: An established resource on the continent - Riana Jacobs-Venter, National Collection of Fungi	PDF VIDEO
09:39 - 09:52	The World Federation of Culture Collections and the Global Genome Biodiversity Network: Sharing the Same Mission for Sustainable Futures - Ipek Kurtböke, World Federation of Culture Collections	VIDEO
09:52 - 10:05	Establishing model lineage systems to study inter-species advanced reproductive approaches - Francisco Pelegri, University of Wisconsin, Madison	PDF
10:05 - 10:18	Important Considerations for Biobanking for Genetic Rescue of Endangered Species - Ben Novak, Revive and Restore	PDF VIDEO
10:18 - 10:33	Morning Coffee break
10:33 - 10:46	Introducing Nature’s SAFE: a European Biobank for Conservation - Tullis Matson, Nature's Safe	PDF
10:46 - 10:59	Reproductive biotechnologies and Genetic Resource Banks Applied to Wildlife Conservation in Argentina - Adrián Sestelo, Gerencia Operativa de Conservación y Gestión de Fauna	PDF
10:59 - 11:12	Projects at LIB Biobank Enabling Cell Banking and Protocol Collection - Jonas Astrin, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change	PDF
11:12 - 11:25	PCRYOZOO Biobank of Animal Cell Lines - Tomàs Marquès and Cira Martínez, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva	PDF
11:25 - 11:38	Organoids for Biobanking and Cellular Agriculture - Julie Strand, Aarhus University	PDF
11:38 - 11:51	Living algal collection of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (ACUS)- Important Ex-Situ Biodiversity Conservation Facility, which Maintains High-quality Algal Strains - Need for Biobanking of Algae in Bulgaria – a Country on the Balkan Peninsula with Extra Rich Biodiversity - Maya Stoyneva and Kristian Ivanov, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”	PDF PDF
11:51 - 12:04	Biobank of Megadiverse Fauna of Brazil - Maria José de Jesus Silva, Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução
11:51 - 12:04	Lunch break
	Session IV – Biobanking in megadiverse countries and the Southern Hemisphere Chairs - Kim Labuschagne
13:30 - 13:45	Pangolins: Cultural Use, Illegal Trade and the Scientific Importance of Biobanking Specimens in South Africa - Ray Jansen, Zoological Society of London	PDF VIDEO
13:45 - 14:00	Biobanking in a Megadiverse Country: a Brief review of Brazilian Current Initiatives - Paulo Holanda, Bioquallis Consulting, Curitiba, Paraná	PDF VIDEO
14:00 - 14:15	Biodiversity Biobanks South Africa: A Distributed Network of Repositories for South Africa's Rich Biodiversity - Mudzuli Mavhunga, Biodiversity Biobanks South Africa	VIDEO
14:15 - 14:30	The importance of the Humboldt Institute Tissue Collection for Biodiversity Research and Conservation in a Megadiverse Country - Gustavo Bravo, Instituto Alexander von Humboldt	VIDEO
14:30 - 14:45	Infrastructure and Management of a Large-scale Genome Bank in a Megadiverse Developing Country. A Case Study in Ecuador - Diego Paucar, Museo de Zoología	PDF VIDEO
14:45 - 15:00	Using Biodiversity Biobanking to Enhance Plant Conservation in the Megadiverse Country South Africa - Ross Stewart, African Centre for DNA Barcoding	VIDEO
15:00 - 15:30	Afternoon Coffee break
	Workshop I: Policies for Molecular Collections, GGBN data standard, and workflows for publishing data Chair - Astrid de Mestier
15:30 - 15:45	Management of Genetic Resources in Natural History Collections using Specify Collection Management Software - Andrew Bentley, University of Kansas	PDF VIDEO
15:45 - 16:00	Symbiota-based Services for Publishing Genomic Collections Data - Nico Franz, Arizona State University	PDF VIDEO
16:00 - 16:15	Policies for Molecular Collections - Astrid de Mestier, Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum	PDF VIDEO
16:15 - 16:30	GGBN Data Standard, and Workflows for Publishing data - Jörg Holetschek, Botanischer Garten Berlin	VIDEO

Day 3 – 19.10.2023

	Session V- The Nagoya Protocol in Practice: Does it Affect My Field Work and Associated Research? Chair - Gilberto Ocampo
09:00 - 09:15	Welcome / Interactive introduction to the Nagoya Protocol - Gilberto Ocampo and Melania Muñoz García, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes and Leibniz Institute DSMZ	VIDEO
09:15 - 09:30	Why is the Nagoya Protocol important for GGBN Collections and Biobanks? - Manuela da Silva, Fiocruz, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation	PDF VIDEO
09:30 - 09:45	The Nagoya Protocol in Mexico - Adelita San Vicente Tello, SEMARNAT	VIDEO
09:45 - 10:00	The Nagoya Protocol and the EU ABS Regulation from a Users’ Perspective - Janina Bornemann, University of Bremen	PDF VIDEO
10:00 - 10:15	Community protocols and ABS of genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated to genetic resources at the local level - Guadalupe Yesenia Hernández Márquez & Adriana Flores Díaz, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IIFBES	PDF
10:15 - 10:45	Morning Coffee break
10:45 - 11:00	The Nagoya Protocol: Where to start? Build your ABS Strategy - Melania Muñoz García, Leibniz Institute DSMZ
11:00 - 11:15	Digital Sequence Information and Open Biodata Resources - Chuck Cook, University of Cambridge	PDF
11:15 - 11:25	Q&A Chair - Gilberto Ocampo
11:25 - 11:30	Closing Remarks - Manuela da Silva
11:30 - 12:00	Conference Group Picture
12:00 - 13:30	Lunch break
13:30 - 15:00	General Assembly Meeting and Conference Close
15:00 - 16:00	Workshop II: GGBN and the Future of Biodiversity Biobanking
16:00 - 17:00	Executive Committee Meeting

More Conference Information

GGBN Conference 2023

• Accomodation
• Organizing Team
• Overview
• Program