Difference between revisions of "News"

From GGBN Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(04 April 2020 CryoArks and GGBN Partner on Animal Biobanking)
(11 July 2022 GGBN-GGI 2022 Award Program Results)
(86 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
=04 April 2020 CryoArks and GGBN Partner on Animal Biobanking=
+
=11 July 2022 GGBN-GGI 2022 Award Program Results=
  
[https://www.cryoarks.org/ CryoArks] and GGBN are happy to announce a new partnership on long-term preservation of animal samples and their derivatives.  This partnership formalizes a collaborative framework aimed at growing genetic collections and at enhancing the GGBN Document Library and its management with animal biobanking materials for conservation-focused research. CryoArks and GGBN will work together to:
+
We are happy to announce the results of the GGBN-GGI 2022 Awards Program. A total of four highly competitive proposals representing institutions across four countries were received and ranked by a peer review committee representative of GGBN membership. The panel ranked the proposals on the following metrics: complementarity to existing collections on GGBN; the size, scope, and quality of the collection; the genomic novelty of the collection; adherence to GGBN best practices; the efficiency or cost-effectiveness of the proposal; contribution to the GGBN community; and the timeline for completion. Priority consideration was given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. The total funding requested was over 60,000 USD, just over 40,000 USD was awarded. Awardees will be contributing over 14,000 new genetic samples to the GGBN data portal by September 2024.
*improve curatorial practices and implement high-quality standards,
 
*harmonize data sharing policies of animal samples and increase discoverability of these samples for conservation research in accordance with internationally recognized standards and best practices,
 
*maintain a high compliance with national and international legislation and conventions in the exchange and use of animal material,
 
*create and implement a joint strategy to be promoted through international fora and organizations involved in biobanking and biopreservation,  
 
*develop joint strategies to increase knowledge of the importance and need of biobanking and biopreservation for current and future research, and  
 
*promote knowledge exchange by development of the GGBN document library on biodiversity biobanking.  
 
 
GGBN and the [https://www.cryoarks.org/about/partner-institutions/ six UK-based CryoArks institutions] will both compliment and leverage each other’s efforts towards achieving mutual biobanking goals.
 
  
 +
GGBN-GGI 2022 Awardees include:
 +
[https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program#Institution:_Kostrzyca_Forest_Gene_Bank Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank]
 +
[https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program#Institution:_Oswaldo_Cruz_Foundation Oswaldo Cruz Foundation]
 +
[https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program#Institution:_University_of_Wyoming_Museum_of_Vertebrates University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates]
  
[[File:CAlogo.png|center|300px]]
+
Congratulations everyone!
  
=30 March 2020 GGBN Annual Newsletter now available=
+
=16 May 2022 GGBN 2023 Conference: October 17-20=
 +
The GGBN 2023 Conference hosted by the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes/Mexico will take place from Tuesday October 17th-Friday October 20th.  Please save the date. 
  
Please visit GGBN's [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Newsletters Newsletters page].
+
[[File:ADNUAA.jpeg|250px|center]]
  
=23 March 2020 Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research makes collections discoverable=
+
=15 April 2022 Steinhardt Museum of Natural History makes tissues discoverable through GGBN=
  
We are happy to announce that Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research in New Zealand has made [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/stats/details?registry=NZAC%2C+Lincoln 8600 ethanol preserved specimens of New Zealand arthropods (primarily insects)] discoverable on GGBN adding 11 new families and 250 new genera to the data portal as part of the 2018 GGBN-GGI Awards Program.
+
We are happy to announce the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv has made 10,086 tissue samples discoverable through the [https://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/search/result?institution=SMNH%2C+Tel+Aviv-Yafo GGBN data portal], including 669 genera, 76 of which are new to GGBN. The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History houses the largest, most important collection of East Mediterranean vertebrates (marine and fresh water, desert and Mediterranean vegetation) in the world. It contains thousands of tissue samples of taxa: from geographic variants to species and higher taxa not represented anywhere else.  
  
[[File:LCR logo.png|center|300px]]
+
[[File:NM LOGO.png|250px|center]]
  
=12 March 2020 BioCASe webinar now available on GGBN's YouTube channel=
+
=12 April 2022 GGBN Newsletter=
  
The March 11th [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuqTCM6FcJU DarwinCore Hour webinar on BioCASe] is now available through GGBN's YouTube channel.  GGBN is planning follow-up webinars on step-by-step installation, mapping and using BioCASe as well as ABCD3.
+
The GGBN 2022 Newsletter has just been released and is available through the GGBN Document Library
 +
[https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Newsletters 2022 Newsletter]
  
=02 March 2020 Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden makes genetic collections discoverable=
+
[[File:GGBN2022 Newsletter page1.png|300px|center]]
  
We are happy to announce that the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden in Brazil has made more than 6,500 DNA and tissue samples of Brazilian plants discoverable through the GGBN data portal, adding approximately 250 new genera and 1,200 species to GGBN. [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/stats/details?registry=JBRJ%2C+Rio+de+Janeiro Statistics] for Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden can be found on the GGBN website.
+
=07 March 2022 GGBN-GGI Awards Call=
  
[[File:Jardin_Botanico_(RJ)_logo.png|center|200px]]
+
[[File:Ggbn-ggi-awards-program_600x300.jpg|300px|center]] We are happy to announce the 2022 GGBN-GGI Awards Program. The program provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network's Data Portal. The proposal review committee will consider requests for up to 20,000 USD with clearly articulated budget justifications. Priority consideration will be given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. It is mandatory that all data from funded projects are made available online on the GGBN Portal before 1 September 2024. The submission deadline for 2022 proposals is Monday May 23, 2022.
  
=24 February 2020 Darwin Core Hour on BioCASe Provider Software and ABCD: March 11, 2020 (16:00 CET)=
+
For more information, please visit our [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Programawards information page].
  
On 11 March 2020 (16:00 CET) Jörg Holetschek (Botanic Garden Berlin) will talk about the BioCASe Provider Software and ABCD in the Darwin Core Hour, which is one option for GGBN members to publish data to GGBN. The webinar will be recorded and made available for those who can’t attend the live presentation. More information on this webinar can be found at https://www.idigbio.org/content/darwin-core-hour-biocase-provider-software-and-abcd-universal-approach-biodiversity
+
=07 February 2022 Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is seeking an independent contractor=
  
=21 February 2020 GGBN Conference postponed until March 2021=
+
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is seeking an independent contractor to provide administrative and project management support to the Global Genome Biodiversity Network General Secretariat Office for all GGBN activities.  The contract period is for 12 months with options to extend.
  
Due to the coronavirus situation in China and globally, the GGBN Executive Committee has decided to postpone the GGBN 2020 conference in Shenzhen until early March 2021. Specific dates will follow soon. Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding in this matterWe look forward to a successful conference hosted by the China National GeneBank in 2021.
+
Qualified individuals are invited to review the attached Request for Quotes (RFQ) and Statement of Work (SOW) for specifics. Details on what to include in the quote package and how to submit it are available in the RFQ. Interested parties should contact Katie Barker (barkerk@si.edu) for a copy of the RFQ and SOW.  
 +
   
 +
Responses are due Monday, February 28th, 8am EST. Applicants should register as a federal contractor in the System for Award Management (SAM) concurrently to responding to the RFQ.
  
=18 February 2020 Odessa National Medical University joins GGBN=
+
Please forward this announcement to any qualified candidates who might be interested. Feel free to contact me if there are any questions.
  
We are happy to announce that the [https://onmedu.edu.ua/?lang=en Odessa National Medical University] has joined GGBN as its first member in Ukraine.  Samples include plant DNAs and associated specimens.
+
=31 January 2022 United States National Science Foundation (NSF) Antarctic Biorepository Workshop (Feb 2-4)=
  
[[File:ONMU_logo.jpg|center|200px]]
+
The upcoming virtual United States National Science Foundation (NSF) Antarctic Biorepository Workshop (Feb 2-4) will include a variety of biologists and curators, including those from several GGBN member institutions, to discuss the development of a biorepository for Antarctic biological specimens! This 3-day workshop, led by co-chairs Dr. Elizabeth Crockett and co-chair Dr. Kristen O'Brian (Institute of Arctic Biology & Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska, Fairbanks), aims to assess the current state of Antarctic collections, evaluate strategies for maximizing specimen visibility/accessibility, and address the need and scope for a biorepository of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic biological specimens. The agenda & more info can be found on the [https://sites.google.com/alaska.edu/antarcticbiorepository/home workshop website].
  
=10 February 2020 The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History joins GGBN=
+
=19 January 2022 PNAS Special Feature on Earth Biogenome Project Published=
  
We are happy to announce that the [https://smnh.tau.ac.il/en/ Steinhardt Museum of Natural History] has joined GGBN as its first member in Israel.  SMNH houses thousands of DNA and tissue samples representing over a thousand species of vertebrates and invertebrates.  
+
The PNAS special feature on the Earth Biogenome Project is now online, see: https://www.pnas.org/cc/the-earth-biogenome-project. GGBN is an EBP partner, co-authoring several publications as part of this special feature.
  
[[File:NM_LOGO.png|center|300px]]
+
=19 October 2021 Slides available for MOBILISE workshop on a data standard for loans and permits=
 +
[[File:Mobilise.jpg|center]]
 +
 +
100 people from more than 20 countries participated in the MOBILISE workshop on a data standard for loans and permits on 29th/30th September 2021! Attendees represented all major disciplines housed in a Natural History Museum (biology, anthropology, mineralogy, palaeontology) as well as technical infrastructures. On the first day presentations from all disciplines provided an overview about the current status of managing permits and loans. On the second day four breakout sessions worked on the topic in detail. We are confident that we made good progress in understanding and addressing the challenges of meeting legal and ethical requirements connected to our information management. Presentations have been made available through the GGBN Document Library. Links to slides have been added to the Agenda doc and can be accessed without an account: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_zpvMb8za9jeG4GbHGsrAKRSLGYqXGazWLh_oggwBOE/edit#heading=h.n8be552nw75y  A workshop report will be published in the RIO journal and will be available in early 2022. As a next step a smaller group will write a charter for a new Task Group under TDWG to develop the new data standard. More information will follow as soon as the new Task Group has been approved by TDWG.
  
=03 February 2020 National Institute of Research for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) joins GGBN=
+
=05 October 2021 The Huntington Joins GGBN=
 +
We are happy to announce that [https://www.huntington.org/gardens The Huntington] has joined GGBN.  The biobank collection includes 1651 DNA and tissue samples represent 172 plant species. Tissue samples are stored in silica Gel at room temperature or -80 deg C and DNA is stored in TE buffer at -80 degrees C.
 +
[[File:HTG_logo.jpg|300px|center]]
  
We are happy to announce that France's new National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment [https://www.inrae.fr/index.php/en (INRAE)], has joined GGBN. Genetic collections include thousands of microorganisms, plants, vertebrates, and terrestrial invertebrates.  
+
=05 October 2021 Royal Botanic Garden Jordan Joins GGBN=
 +
We are happy to announce that the [http://royalbotanicgarden.org/page/welcome-royal-botanic-garden-jordan Royal Botanic Garden Jordan] has joined GGBN. The collection includes 2500 DNA samples and 1219 seed samples representing 430 species of plants. Samples are stored in silica, and a cold room at 1-4C. 
 +
[[File:RBG Logo.jpg|300px|center]]
  
 +
=16 August 2021 MOBILISE Workshop on a Data Standard for Loans and Permits: 29/30 September=
 +
[[File:Mobilise.jpg|center]]
 +
We are happy to announce this year’s MOBILISE workshop on a data standard for loans and permits.
  
[[File:INRAE.jpg|center|300px]]
+
It will take place virtually on 29./30. September 2021, 3-6pm UTC (5-8pm CEST) on both days.
  
=14 January 2020 GGBN-GGI Awards Call for Proposals=
+
Background: Making legal information that is associated with specimens or data traceable in digital resources is an important goal of many initiatives. It facilitates the compliance with the Nagoya protocol in collections and collection infrastructures. In close collaboration with SYNTHESYS+ NA3 (work package on molecular standards and processes) we discussed that the goal is best addressed by making legal information part of the data structure and by developing a data standard for loans and permits.
  
We are happy to announce the call for proposals for the GGBN-GGI 2020 Awards Program. The program provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network's Data Portal. The next submission deadline for proposals will be 24 April 2020. The proposal review committee will consider requests for up to 30,000 USD with clearly articulated budget justifications. For more information on the GGBN-GGI awards program, including information on how to apply, please visit the [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program Global Genome Biodiversity Network-Global Genome Initiative Awards, Program Page].
+
Goals of the workshop: In the workshop we would like to find out what a data standard for loans and permits should consider. A start has been made for GGBN and the DNA and tissue collections, and the goal is to extend the standard to other types of natural science collections. We will therefore invite representatives of different disciplines and infrastructures within the natural sciences.
  
=08 January 2020 GGBN 2020 Conference: Abstracts for oral and poster presentations now accepted=
+
The workshop will be divided into a more general information session and into several parallel working sessions. More information will follow. Please contact Eva Haeffner via e.haeffner@bgbm.org until August, 31st 2021 if you or someone from your network are interested in participating.
  
The GGBN 2020 Conference [https://meetings.ggbn.org/conference/ggbn/ggbn2020/schedConf/cfp Call for Papers] is now open. Abstracts for oral and poster presentations will be accepted through April 1, 2020. The program committee is soliciting contributions that address the primary theme or other topics in biodiversity biobanking. Abstracts for oral and/or poster presentations may be submitted for the following session or symposium topics:
+
=08 August 2021 GGBN-GGI Award Recipients=
 +
[[File:Ggbn-ggi-awards-program_600x300.jpg|300px|center]]
 +
We are happy to announce the results of the GGBN-GGI 2021 Awards Program. A total of six highly competitive proposals representing institutions across five countries were received and ranked by a peer review committee representative of GGBN membership. The panel ranked the proposals on the following metrics: complementarity to existing collections on GGBN; the size, scope, and quality of the collection; the genomic novelty of the collection; adherence to GGBN best practices; the efficiency or cost-effectiveness of the proposal; contribution to the GGBN community; and the timeline for completion. Priority consideration was given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. The total funding requested was over 118,000 USD, just over 56,000 USD was awarded. Awardees will be contributing over 9,000 new genetic samples to the GGBN data portal by September 2023.
  
* Biodiversity Biobank Collections (from vertebrates to microbes)
+
GGBN-GGI 2021 Awardees include:
* Large Scale Genomic Initiatives and GGBN
 
* Frontiers in biobanking collections: sampling and preservation
 
* Culture Collections
 
* Environmental specimens
 
* Nagoya Protocol-where to next?
 
* Crop wild relatives and medical plant diversity
 
* Biodiversity Biobank Data and Analytics
 
* Large-scale biobanks/Biobank Networks in Asia-Pacific
 
  
Registration will be opening shortly. A breakdown of registration fees, along with other conference information can be found on the [https://meetings.ggbn.org/conference/ggbn/ggbn2020/ GGBN 2020 Conference page].
+
*Instituto de investigación de recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt/Colombia
 +
*National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/Brazil
 +
*Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, DNA Bank (ADNUAA)/Mexico
 +
*Universidad Nacional de Colombia/Colombia
  
=06 January 2020 University of Kansas makes Ichthyology genetic collections discoverable with Specify 7=
 
  
'''The KU ichthyology tissue collection'''
+
The titles and abstracts of these proposals can be found on the GGBN awards program page, along with general award program information.
  
[https://biodiversity.ku.edu/ The University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute] Ichthyology frozen tissue collection is housed in a state of the art cryogenic facility and has broad representation of both marine and freshwater fish diversity – over 11,200 individual tissue samples from 2,843 taxa (342 families and 1275 genera) and representing material from 85 countries (significant representation from the US, Australia, Belize, Ethiopia, Fiji, Nepal, Seychelles, South Africa, Taiwan, Tonga and more, as well as oceanic localities).  The collection is 95% georeferenced and has linkages to vouchered specimens as well as over 14,000 Genbank sequences (and vice versa through the NCBI LinkOut system) and over 550 cited publications. These samples are now accessible through the GGBN [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/stats/details?registry=KU%2C+Lawrence data portal].
+
Congratulations everyone!
  
 
+
=02 August 2021 GGBN Conference in China Postponed until 2025=
'''Specify 7'''
+
[[File:GGBN2025.jpg|300px|center]]
 +
Due to the continued disruptions to travel associated with Covid-19, GGBN will be postponing its conference in China, hosted by the China National GeneBank, until 2025. As a result, our next conference will be in Mexico, hosted by the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes in 2023.
  
Specify 7 is a web implementation of the Specify Consortium biological collections data management platform. Specify 7 server code is open source and available from GitHub. This new generation of Specify combines the interface design components and data management foundation of Specify 6 with the efficiency and ease-of-use of web-based data access and cloud computing. Specify 7 is capable of exporting collections data in the Darwin Core Archive (DwCA) format. This capability expands on the existing Specify 6 functionality by supporting extensions to the core format (for GGBN, media and reference works amongst others) and also circumvents the IPT architecture currently used through Specify 6 data publishing. The Specify Consortium recently updated its data model to include all necessary fields to support GGBN publishing - https://www.sustain.specifysoftware.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Specify-Schema-Update-v2.4-Context.pdf.  Find out more about Specify Collections Management Software here:  https://www.sustain.specifysoftware.org/.
+
=6 July 2021 Atlanta Botanical Garden joins GGBN=
 +
[[File:ABG_logo_600x300.png|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that [https://atlantabg.org/ Atlanta Botanical Garden] has joined GGBN from the United States. ABG's collection includes DNA and tissue samples from over 750 plant species.
  
 +
=4 June 2021 GGBN Governance Documents Available in Spanish=
 +
[[File:Spanish_language_docs_600x300.png|300px|center]] We are delighted to announce the Spanish translation of GGBN's [https://library.ggbn.org/share/s/RT6SrwtdRFGQM5G5HofETw Memorandum of Understanding] and [https://library.ggbn.org/share/s/1yb7d1_3QD6PNNgG6Ek_Eg Terms of Reference]. These translated governance documents are designed to be helpful tools for both prospective and existing Spanish-speaking GGBN Members. These resources can be found in the Membership Documents section of [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Membership GGBN's Membership page].
  
[[File:KU logo.jpg|center|300px]]
+
=28 May 2021 Inala Jurassic Garden joins GGBN=
[[File:Specify.png|center|300px]]
+
[[File:IJG_logo_600x300.png|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that [https://jurassicgarden.com.au/ Inala Jurassic Garden] has joined GGBN from Tasmania, Australia. IJG's collection includes DNA and tissue samples from over 100 species.
  
=16 December 2019-GGBN 2020 Conference Travel Support Opportunities=
+
=28 May 2021 Core Facility Botanical Garden, University of Vienna joins GGBN=
 +
[[File:GGBN_logo_600x300.png|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that the [https://botanischergarten.univie.ac.at/ Core Facility Botanical Garden, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna] has joined GGBN. UNIVIE's collection represents 12,500 living plant species and 1.5 million herbarium vouchers.
  
GGBN is starting a travel support program in 2020 designed to assist members with the costs of attending the network’s meetings. While any GGBN member can apply, preference will be given to participants from upper middle income, lower middle income, and low-income countries, with additional consideration given to the value of the individual’s participation at the conference either for the member institution or for GGBN. The number of travel support recipients will be determined by the GGBN 2020 Conference organizing committee and be dependent on the number and quality of the applicants.  
+
=26 May 2021 GGBN Virtual Symposium "Operating a Biobank During a Pandemic"=
 +
[[File:Coronavirus_open_access.jpg|300px|center]] The Global Genome Biodiversity Network is pleased to announce a short virtual symposium, to be held on June 9th starting at 7am US Pacific, 10am US Eastern and 4pm Central European Summer Time. The theme of the meeting is "Operating a Biobank During a Pandemic: Facing Challenges During a Period of Heightened Relevance." The meeting is intended for the GGBN community to discuss the challenges, adaptations, and opportunities related to operating a biobank during a pandemic. For the full program with abstracts please visit the [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/GGBN_Symposium:_Operating_a_Biobank_During_a_Pandemic,_Facing_Challenges_During_a_Period_of_Heightened_Relevance symposium page].  
  
Those receiving travel support are required to make either an oral or poster presentation at the meeting and to be the first author on the presentation. Notification of support is contingent on the acceptance of the applicant’s abstract by the organizing committee.
+
'''Register in advance for this meeting:
 +
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsde6hqjkuEtRKVvJUVim9VU2J7Ubu8oC-'''
  
All applicants will be notified by February 18, 2020. For those receiving travel support, directions will also be provided regarding how to book your travel. Please do not make any travel arrangements until receiving further instruction, as doing so may disqualify you from receiving support.
+
After your registration has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions to enable you to join the Zoom meeting.
  
Please submit the following to ggbn@si.edu no later than February 1 to complete your application:  
+
=4 May 2021 Tooro Botanical Gardens joins GGBN=
 +
[[File:TBG_logo_600x300.jpg|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that the [http://tbguganda.org/ Tooro Botanical Gardens] has joined GGBN as the first GGBN Member from Uganda. TBG's collection includes over 450 DNA, tissue, and environmental samples of plants, representing 50 species.
  
*Completed application form
+
=13 April 2021 GGBN Annual Newsletter now available=
*Copy of paper/poster abstract you intend to present
+
[[File:GGBN2021Newsletter_600x300.jpg|300px|center]]GGBN's annual newsletter is now available here: https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Newsletters
*Letter of support/recommendation from senior professional, supervisor, mentor, department head, or director that knows your work (sent directly from the recommending individual to ggbn@si.edu)
 
*In case your institution is already a GGBN member, then also a letter of support/recommendation from GGBN primary contact from your institution (also sent as a separate email to ggbn@si.edu) 
 
  
See the [https://library.ggbn.org/share/s/ENECv6iJSiGscYKkwzL1ZA GGBN 2020 Travel Grants Application Form] for more information.
+
=29 March 2021 Universidad Nacional de Colombia joins GGBN=
 +
[[File:UNAL_logo_600x300.png|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that the [https://unal.edu.co/ Universidad Nacional de Colombia / National University of Colombia] has joined GGBN. UNAL's collection includes over 2000 tissue and DNA samples of microorganisms and vertebrates, representing 290 species.
  
=31 October 2019-the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México joins GGBN=
+
=29 March 2021 Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute joins GGBN=
 +
[[File:JNTBGRI_logo_600x300.png|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that the [https://jntbgri.res.in/ Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute] has joined GGBN as our first member from India. JNTBGRI plans to make discoverable 100 plant tissue samples.
  
We are proud to announce that the [https://www.unam.mx/ Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México] has joined GGBN as its second Mexican member. The [http://www.ib.unam.mx/ Instituto de Biologia, UNAM] houses thousands of DNA and tissue samples representing over one thousand species of microorganisms, plants, vertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates, and marine invertebrates.  
+
=22 March 2021 GGBN-GGI Awards Call for Proposals=
 +
[[File:Ggbn-ggi-awards-program_600x300.jpg|300px|center]] We are happy to announce the [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program 2021 GGBN-GGI Awards Program]. The program provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network's Data Portal. The proposal review committee will consider requests for up to 20,000 USD with clearly articulated budget justifications. This year priority consideration will be given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the [https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/WESP2020_FullReport.pdf latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI]), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. It is mandatory that all data from funded projects are made available online on the GGBN Portal before 1 September 2023. The submission deadline for 2021 proposals is April 30, 2021.
  
[[File:UNAM.png|center|300px]]
+
=29 January 2021 Northwestern University Ecological Park & Botanic Gardens joins GGBN=
 +
[[File:NUEBG_logo_300x600.jpg‎|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that the [https://www.nwu.edu.ph/nuebg Northwestern University Ecological Park & Botanic Gardens] has joined GGBN as our first member from the Philippines. NUEBG's collection includes over 2000 tissue samples representing over 2300 plant species.
  
=29 October 2019-Denver Museum of Nature and Science makes genetic collections discoverable=
+
=6 January 2021 Mientrung Institute for Scientific Research joins GGBN=
  
We are proud to announce the fourth Arctos partner, the [https://www.dmns.org/ Denver Museum of Nature and Science] has made a subset of its [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/stats/details?registry=DMNS%2C+Denver genetic collections] discoverable through GGBN as part of the 2017-2018 GGBN-GGI awards program. The collection adds more than 31,000 vertebrate tissue samples to GGBN, mainly representing birds, mammals, and associated parasites, adding 50 new species to GGBN’s online collections.  
+
[[File:MISR_logo_600x300.jpg|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that the [https://vast.gov.vn/web/vietnam-academy-of-science-and-technology/tin-chi-tiet/-/chi-tiet/mientrung-institute-for-scientific-research-misr--8960-875.html Mientrung Institute for Scientific Research (MISR), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST)] has joined GGBN as our latest member from Viet Nam. MISR's collections include DNA samples of plants and microorganisms.
  
[[File:Denver.jpg|center|400px]]
+
=10 December 2020 GGBN Conference postponed until March 2022=
  
[[File:Arctos_logo.png|center|300px]]
+
Due to the continuation of the coronavirus pandemic in China and globally, the GGBN Executive Committee has agreed with the China National GeneBank to postpone the [https://meetings.ggbn.org/conference/ggbn/2022/ GGBN 2020 Conference in Shenzhen, China] until March 21-25, 2022.
 +
 +
In early 2021 GGBN will have a series of small focused online working group meetings with GGBN members and partners. We look forward to meeting in person in Shenzhen in March of 2022. The GGBN Conference originally planned for 2022 will now take place in early November 2023 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, hosted by [https://www.uaa.mx/portal/ Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes].
  
=15 October 2019-Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at Berkeley makes genetic collections discoverable=
+
[[File:GGBN2022-conference.jpg|300px|center]]
  
We are proud to announce the third [https://arctos.database.museum/home.cfm Arctos] partner, the [http://mvz.berkeley.edu/ Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at Berkeley] has made a subset of its [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/stats/details?registry=MVZ%2C+Berkeley genetic collections] discoverable through GGBN as part of the 2017-2018 [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program GGBN-GGI awards program]. The collection adds more than 160,000 vertebrate tissue samples to GGBN representing 40 new families, 400 new genera and 500 new species.
+
=3 December 2020 Hungarian Natural History Museum makes collections discoverable=
 
[[File: MVZ Logo LargeFancy180.png|center|300px]]
 
  
[[File:Arctos_logo.png|center|300px]]
+
We are happy to announce the [http://www.nhmus.hu/en/content/introduction Hungarian Natural History Museum] has made [http://data.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/search/result?institution=HNHM%2C+Budapest 11,400 samples discoverable to GGBN’s Data Portal]. These samples add ca. 40 new fungi, animal and plant families and 250 new genera of primarily endemic taxa from the Pannonian Biogeographical Region, as well as rare taxa collected in the Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, South-East Asia, Africa and Central-America. Congratulations to the team at Hungarian Natural History Museum!
  
=09 October 2019-University of Alaska Museum of the North makes genetic collections discoverable=
+
[[File:HNHM_logo_300x600.jpg|300px|center]]
  
We are proud to announce that the second [https://arctos.database.museum/home.cfm Arctos] partner, the [https://www.uaf.edu/museum/ University of Alaska Museum of the North] has made a subset of its [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/stats/details?registry=UAM%2C+Fairbanks genetic collections] discoverable through GGBN as part of the 2017-2018 [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program GGBN-GGI awards program]. The online collection includes more than 200,000 tissue samples representing mostly mammals and birds, in addition to other animals and plants.  The collection adds 100 new families, 100 new genera and 100 new species to the GGBN Data Portal.
+
=20 November 2020 Fiocruz makes protozoa collections discoverable=
  
More Arctos partners will be making their genetic collections discoverable in the upcoming weeks.  
+
We are happy to announce that [https://portal.fiocruz.br/en Fiocruz] has made their [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/search/result?institution=Fiocruz%2C+Rio+de+Janeiro protozoa collection] discoverable adding 12 genera and 33 species to GGBN's online collections.
  
 +
[[File:Fiocruz-logo.jpg|300px|center]]
  
[[File:MOTN .jpg|center|300px]]
+
=30 October 2020 GGBN Data Portal User Survey: Please participate by December 1=
  
[[File:Arctos_logo.png|center|300px]]
+
[[File:Survey-icon-19203.png|300px|center]] GGBN is redesigning and upgrading the search functionality and display of the GGBN Data Portal, which was designed to serve as a single-stop search platform for researchers to locate genomic samples from biodiversity biobanks around the world.
 
 
=02 October 2019-Museum of Southwestern Biology makes genetic collections discoverable=
 
 
 
We are proud to announce that the first [https://arctos.database.museum/home.cfm Arctos] partner, the [http://www.msb.unm.edu/ Museum of Southwestern Biology], University of New Mexico/US has made a subset of its [http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/stats/details?registry=MSB%2C+Albuquerque genetic collections] discoverable through GGBN as part of the 2017-2018 [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program GGBN-GGI awards program]. The online collection includes more than 580,000 vertebrate tissues representing mostly mammals and more than 200,000 associated specimen data. The collection adds 100 new families, 400 new genera and 1,000 species to the GGBN Data Portal.
 
 
 
More Arctos partners will be making their genetic collections discoverable in the upcoming weeks.
 
 
 
[[File:Roadrunner-logo-large.jpg|center|300px]]
 
 
 
[[File:Arctos_logo.png|center|300px]]
 
 
 
=13 September 2019-University of Torino joins GGBN=
 
 
 
We are pleased to announce that the [https://en.unito.it/ University of Torino] has joined GGBN as part of the 2019 GGBN-GGI awards program. The collection comprises 2234 specimens representing approximately 120 families, 376 genera and 589 species of mainly Western Palearctic species. Genetic samples will be made discoverable through GGBN by September 2020.
 
 
 
[[File:UnivTorino.png|center|300px]]
 
 
 
=11 September 2019-GGBN 2020 Conference: At-a-glance agenda, session topics, invited speakers and travel logistics=
 
 
 
The GGBN 2020 [https://meetings.ggbn.org/conference/ggbn/ggbn2020/about/organizingTeam organizing committee] is happy to announce updates to the GGBN 2020 [https://meetings.ggbn.org/conference/ggbn/ggbn2020/index conference webpage] to include the at-a-glance agenda, theme and session topics, invited speakers, travel logistics and accommodations. Early bird registration and abstract submission will open November 1st.
 
 
 
=15 July 2019-Chicago Botanic Garden joins GGBN=
 
 
 
We are pleased to announce that the [https://www.chicagobotanic.org/ Chicago Botanic Garden] has joined GGBN as part of the [https://ggi.si.edu/ggi-gardens GGI Gardens Program], an effort to enhance global plant collections by strategically collecting and preserving genome-quality samples representing global plant diversity. The Chicago Botanic Garden's collection comprises 13,286 samples representing approximately 5,000 plant species, a subset of which will be made discoverable through GGBN by August 2020.
 
 
 
 
 
[[File:Cbg_logo_1.jpg|center|300px]]
 
 
 
=11 July 2019-GGBN 2020 Conference ''Widening GGBN’s Horizon – engaging new users and collections''=
 
 
 
 
 
GGBN 2020, the 4th Conference of the Global Genome Biodiversity Network, will take place in Shenzhen, China from May 11-15. We are putting together an exciting program on topics surrounding the main theme of Widening GGBN’s Horizon – engaging new users and collections.
 
 
 
Sessions on the following topics are planned:
 
*Regional Biobanks (Asia-Pacific)
 
*Biodiversity Biobank Collections (from vertebrates to microbes)
 
*Frontiers in Biobanking Collections: Sampling and Preservation
 
*Biodiversity Biobank Data and Analytics
 
*Culture Collections
 
*Environmental Specimens
 
*Crop Relatives and Medicinal Plant Diversity
 
*Large Scale Genomic Initiatives and GGBN
 
*Nagoya Protocol
 
 
 
Invited speakers will be announced on the GGBN website this fall. We invite participants to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations through the GGBN 2020 Conference registration system starting in November 2019.
 
 
 
Organizing Committee:
 
*Jonas Astrin, Zoological Research Museum-Koenig/Germany
 
*Katie Barker, GGBN Secretariat, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian/US
 
*Jason Chen, Beijing Genomics Institute, China National GeneBank/China
 
*Manuela da Silva, FIOCRUZ/Brazil
 
*Gabi Droege, GGBN Technical Secretariat, Berlin Botanic Garden/Germany
 
*Meiliang Zhou, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation/China
 
*Sarah Tassell, Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research/New Zealand
 
*Thai Pham, Vietnam National Museum of Nature/Vietnam
 
 
 
[[File:GGBN 2020 draft agenda .jpg|center|800px]]
 
 
 
=09 July 2019-Upcoming Regional Workshop in Tbilisi (November 4-7 2019)=
 
 
 
'''We are sorry to inform you due to unforeseeable circumstances we were unable to secure funding for the dates of November 4-7, but are actively working with different State organizations and donors within Georgia to secure funding for this workshop sometime next year.''' 
 
 
 
Workshop Title: New Horizons for Conserving and Restoring Biodiversity in Gene Banks and Regional Cooperation
 
*Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
 
*Host: The Association for Farmers Rights Defense, AFRD
 
 
 
The Workshop will provide a platform for discussion on the following key themes:
 
* Recent country experience and efforts on mainstreaming biodiversity conservation, ex-situ, in situ into Gene Bank development
 
* Approaches and partnerships to mainstream National Gene Bank cooperation at Post Soviet and Eastern European, Central European sectoral levels
 
* Insights, challenges, and opportunities to manage for better results harmonizing GGBN Methodologies, Measurements, and Taxonomy Data
 
 
 
Program:
 
*Day 1, 04.11.2019 Plenary session
 
 
 
*Day 2, 05.11.2019 Working Groups
 
 
 
*Day 3, 06.11.2019 Working Groups
 
 
 
*Day 4, 07.11.2019 Excursions
 
 
 
 
 
Outcomes:
 
The workshop is expected to guide the development of the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity's modern conservation methods and the cooperation and networking of Gene Banks.
 
The results of the workshop should be disseminated and taken up and promoted by concerned stakeholders in such a way that they are ultimately reflected in the Genetic Resource management practices for both developed and developing countries. The overall aim is to help improve the cooperation of scientific and research communities and achieve truly sustainable use of Genetic Resources that is environmentally sound and economically viable.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Please contact Dr. Kakha Nadiradze (nadiradzekakha@gmail.com) and GGBN (GGBN@si.edu) by July 20th to express your interest in participating.
 
 
 
=08 July 2019-University of Karachi joins GGBN=
 
We are pleased to announce that the [http://www.uok.edu.pk/research_institutes/cpc/index.php University of Karachi, Center for Plant Conservation] has joined GGBN as part of the GGBN-GGI 2019 Awards Program. The awarded project will publish 1,000 samples from across Pakistan representing a diversity of biotic communities and relatively rich flora.
 
 
 
[[File:Karachi_University_logo.png|center|200px]]
 
 
 
=01 July 2019-Job Advertisement-Cell Culture Specialist-Zoological Research Museum A. Koenig=
 
The Biobank at Zoological Research Museum A. Koenig in Bonn, Germany, is looking for a full-time cell culture specialist. The position can be filled immediately and is funded for three years within the project "Forensic Genetics for Species Protection", aimed at protecting endangered animals. Tasks include:
 
*Establishing cell cultures and cryopreservation
 
*Developing methods and coordination of lab workflows, especially for cell culture; data analyses
 
*Management of the cell culture lab; responsible for instruments
 
*Handling biobank samples (incl. DNA, tissue): documentation, databasing, preparation, preservation
 
*Sample acquisition & research: international correspondence on samples; organizing logistics
 
*Supervision of research assistants, students, and interns
 
Your profile:
 
*Extensive, documented hands-on experience in the cell culture lab (ideally, but not necessarily with animals)
 
*Finished vocational training or university degree in life sciences
 
*Capacity to organize and manage molecular infrastructures and projects
 
*Good IT skills (esp. with spreadsheets, database knowledge)
 
*Fair knowledge of the English language for international correspondence etc.
 
*High interpersonal skills; most meticulous and responsible, proactive way of working; competent at problem-solving
 
 
 
ZFMK offers a highly motivating environment at a renowned and pioneering research facility and the possibility to work independently. Salary and benefits are according to a public service position in Germany, TV-L E 9.
 
 
 
Equally qualified severely disabled applicants will be given preference.
 
 
 
Please send your application by e-mail attachment, including a detailed CV, until July 19, 2019 to Mrs. Heike Lenz: h.lenz@leibniz-zfmk.de. In case of questions concerning the position please contact Jonas Astrin: j.astrin@leibniz-zfmk.de, tel. +49-228-9122 357.
 
 
 
For more information about ZFMK see http://www.leibniz-zfmk.de/en
 
 
 
=18 June 2019-The University of California, CALeDNA Program joins GGBN=
 
We are proud to announce that the University of California, [http://www.ucedna.com/ CALeDNA Program] has joined GGBN. As part of the GGBN-GGI 2019 awards program, the project will develop pipelines for e-DNA collections to GGBN and GBIF, acting as a prototype model for other e-DNA collections and will work with GGBN to demonstrate best practices for e-DNA curation.  Approximately 1,000 soil, sediment and water samples representing 18,000 species will be added to GGBN.
 
 
 
[[File:Sticker Design 2019 v4.png|center|400px]]
 
 
 
=10 June 2019-Job Advertisement-Director of Biodiversity Banking - Institute for Conservation Research=
 
The Institute for Conservation Research has recently posted a job opening for a [https://usr56.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/sdzg/Posting/View/422 Director of Biodiversity Banking]. The deadline for applications is Sunday, June 30, 2019.
 
 
 
=3 June 2019-GGBN-GGI Awards Program 2019 Recipients=
 
 
 
We are happy to announce the results of the GGBN-GGI 2019 Awards Program. A total of seven highly competitive proposals representing member and non-member institutions across four countries were received and ranked by a peer review committee representative of GGBN membership.  The panel ranked the proposals on the following metrics: complementarity to existing collections on GGBN; the size, scope, and quality of the collection; the genomic novelty of the collections; adherence to GGBN best practices; the efficiency or cost-effectiveness of the proposal; contribution to the GGBN community; and the timeline for completion. The total funding requested was nearly 190,000 USD, and a little over 95,000 was awarded. Awardees will be contributing new genetic samples to the GGBN data portal by September 2020.
 
 
 
GGBN-GGI 2019 Awardees include:
 
*Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI)/Peru
 
*Missouri Botanical Garden/USA
 
*University of California, Los Angeles, UC Conversation Genomics Consortium/USA
 
*University of Karachi, Centre for Plant Conservation/Pakistan
 
*University of Torino, Dipartimento de Scienze della Terra/Italy
 
 
 
 
 
The titles and abstracts of these proposals can be found on the GGBN [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program awards program page], along with general award program information.
 
 
 
Congratulations everyone!
 
 
 
=28 May 2019 Call for Conference Host: GGBN 2022=
 
GGBN’s Executive Committee is seeking a host organization for the 2022 conference.  GGBN conferences are an opportunity to exchange knowledge on biodiversity biobanking, grow the community and facilitate best practices in genetic collections management and discoverability. 
 
 
 
Emerging as a world leader in genetic collections databasing, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) is an international scientific research network of biodiversity biobanks that collaborate to ensure the long-term preservation and discoverability of genetic samples from all life. GGBN advocates for the value of genetic samples, both today and into the future, and addresses key challenges associated with the management and use of these important resources. Together, GGBN’s member institutions promote access to information about, and legal exchange of, the genetic samples that they maintain.  Our strategic areas include genomic sample management and discoverability, best practices for genetic collections, knowledge exchange and training, and communications and outreach.  So far GGBN conferences have taken place in London, England; Berlin, Germany; Vienna, Austria and Shenzhen, China and we are always looking forward to expanding to new continents, countries, and cities.
 
 
 
The hosting location should have good travel connections and be able to host 100-150 participants. The local organizer is responsible for the facilities and the execution of the conference and conference budget. The organizer also has to secure sufficient funding (the Organizing Committee can offer their assistance in seeking grants and soliciting vendors). Conference dates will be determined in cooperation between the Organizing Committee and the local organizers.
 
 
 
Proposals to host the GGBN 2022 conference should include:
 
*Motivation. Describe your motivation and highlight the benefits.
 
*Budget. No real detail of the budget is required at this stage, however, the approach to hosting the conference and the resultant budgetary implications are required.
 
*Conference hosting options to include the possible venue/s, accommodations, meals, activities, and transportation options.
 
*Key attributes of the location and potential venues. Bullet points describing the advantages of the location and potential activities for attendees.
 
*Date options for the conference.
 
*Primary contact name and contact information.Preliminary list of names of members of the local organizing committee and their responsibilities.
 
 
 
Interested parties should submit their proposals to host the 2022 conference no later than December 1, 2019.  Proposals will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and the 2022 host will be announced at the 2020 conference in Shenzhen, China.
 
 
 
[https://meetings.ggbn.org/conference/ggbn/2018/schedConf/program The Conference Program]from GGBN's 2018 conference is available as a reference.
 
 
 
=23 May 2019 GGBN 2020 Conference May 11-15=
 
It is our pleasure to announce that GGBN 2020, the 4th Conference of the Global Genome Biodiversity Network, will take place in Shenzhen China, May 11-15, hosted by the [https://www.cngb.org/home.html China National GeneBank]. We hope that you can join us!
 
 
 
[[File:CNGB_Introduction2.jpg|center|600px]]
 
 
 
=23 April 2019-Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank joins GGBN=
 
We are proud to announce that the [https://www.lasy.gov.pl/en Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank] has joined GGBN as its first Polish member.  The genetic collection comprises 11,525 plant and 52 animal tissues, 8,497 plant and 14 animal DNAs and 20,000-50,000 specimens representing 163 plant and 2 animal species.  Samples are stored in cold rooms (-3, -10, -20C), Freezers (-80C) and cryogenic containers (vapors of liquid nitrogen).
 
 
 
[[File:Logo_Kostrzyca.jpg|center|400px]]
 
 
 
=19 April 2019-GGBN-GGI Awards Due May 1=
 
Thinking your genetic collections should be more visible for research?  Do you require staff or other resources to make this happen? If so, then apply to the GGBN-GGI 2019 awards program.  Deadline for proposals is May 1st. See https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program
 
 
 
=12 April 2019-GGBN Focus Group Meeting, Washington DC=
 
 
 
GGBN members met this week at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC to 1) discuss GGBN's dues model and possible changes based on needs of the network and 2) to develop a marketing strategy to facilitate better communication with the research and collections communities. Member participants attended from Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Georgia, Germany, United Kingdom, United States. A report will be developed over the next few weeks and distributed to the Executive Committee and the 88 members of the General Assembly for review and comment this summer.
 
 
 
Thanks to everyone who participated this week!
 
[[File:April2019FGMeeting.jpg|center|500px]]
 
 
 
=02 April 2019-GGBN March 2019 Newsletter Published=
 
GGBN's [https://library.ggbn.org/share/s/R9H3V8IXSDqiTk1ZS6G89Q March 2019 Newsletter] is now available for your reading pleasure.
 
[[File:GGBN2019Newsletter.png|center|300px]]
 
 
 
=18 March 2019-Botanical Research Institute of Texas joins GGBN=
 
 
We are proud to announce that the [https://www.brit.org/ Botanical Research Institute of Texas] has joined GGBN as its 22nd United States member.  BRIT's biorepository opened in January of 2019 and will help lead the [https://ggi.si.edu/ggi-gardens Global Genome Initiative Gardens collecting program], which partners with arboreta, botanic gardens, and greenhouses worldwide to preserve the incredible diversity contained within these living collections.
 
[[File:BRITlogo.png|center|300px]]
 
  
=01 March 2019-National Biodiversity Cryobank of Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature joins GGBN=
+
We are asking for input from those that conduct non-human molecular research, to ensure that the redesign meets your needs. Please fill out and share [https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J9G5ZXF this survey] by December 1.
  
We are proud to announce that the [https://nature.ca/en/research-collections/collections/cryobank National Biodiversity Cryobank of Canada], Canadian Museum of Nature, has joined GGBN as its 3rd Canadian member. The genetic collection includes 4,500 DNA and 30,000 tissue samples representing microorganisms, plants, vertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates and marine invertebrates.
+
=6 October 2020 INVEMAR joins GGBN=
  
[[File:CMN.png|center|300px]]
+
[[File:INVEMAR_logo.png|300px|center]] We are happy to announce that the [http://www.invemar.org.co/en/web/guest/home Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras Jose Benito Vives de Andreis INVEMAR] has joined GGBN as our latest member from Colombia. INVEMAR's collections include tissue samples of vertebrates and marine invertebrates.
  
=06 February 2019-GGBN-GGI Awards Program 2019 Call for Proposals=
+
=6 October 2020 TDWG 2020 Genomic Biodiversity Interest Group Session now available=
We are happy to announce the call for proposals for the GGBN-GGI 2019 Awards Program. The program provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network's Data Portal. The next submission deadline for proposals will be May 1 2019. The proposal review committee will consider requests for up to 30,000 USD with clearly articulated budget justifications. For more information on the GGBN-GGI awards program, including information on how to apply, please visit [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Global_Genome_Biodiversity_Network-Global_Genome_Initiative_Awards_Program the Global Genome Biodiversity Network-Global Genome Initiative Awards Program Page].
 
  
=22 January 2019-Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center joins GGBN=
+
The TDWG 2020 session on environmental samples and associated standards is now available on YouTube. This working group session took place during the joint TDWG and Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) Biodiversity Genomics Working Group (aka GBWG). See [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmrV6fQwyNQ&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1D_JJo1rQvP6YNWs4EKo8xAxQcKvcqkcem_3hzb2pu3_3dR14F4pZ55kk TDWG 2020: Genomic Biodiversity Interest Group - Working Session].
We are proud to announce that the [http://www.kbcc.org.tw/tw/ Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center] has joined GGBN.  The genetic collection includes 16,890 tissues and 3,609 DNAs of plants.
 
  
[[File:Kbcclogo.jpg|center|500px]]
+
=21 July 2020 BioCASe Provider Software "Hands On" Webinar now available=
  
 +
The second DarwinCore Hour webinar on BioCASe provider software "Using BioCASe to provide data to GBIF and GGBN - hands on" is now available, along with the first BioCASe webinar "Using BioCASe to provide data to GBIF and GGBN - overview". See [https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Training_Tools GGBN's use cases and tutorials on data management and publishing].
  
 
=News Archive=
 
=News Archive=
  
 
Older news can be found in the GGBN [[News Archive]].
 
Older news can be found in the GGBN [[News Archive]].

Revision as of 15:34, 15 July 2022

Contents

11 July 2022 GGBN-GGI 2022 Award Program Results

We are happy to announce the results of the GGBN-GGI 2022 Awards Program. A total of four highly competitive proposals representing institutions across four countries were received and ranked by a peer review committee representative of GGBN membership. The panel ranked the proposals on the following metrics: complementarity to existing collections on GGBN; the size, scope, and quality of the collection; the genomic novelty of the collection; adherence to GGBN best practices; the efficiency or cost-effectiveness of the proposal; contribution to the GGBN community; and the timeline for completion. Priority consideration was given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. The total funding requested was over 60,000 USD, just over 40,000 USD was awarded. Awardees will be contributing over 14,000 new genetic samples to the GGBN data portal by September 2024.

GGBN-GGI 2022 Awardees include: Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank Oswaldo Cruz Foundation University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates

Congratulations everyone!

16 May 2022 GGBN 2023 Conference: October 17-20

The GGBN 2023 Conference hosted by the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes/Mexico will take place from Tuesday October 17th-Friday October 20th. Please save the date.

ADNUAA.jpeg

15 April 2022 Steinhardt Museum of Natural History makes tissues discoverable through GGBN

We are happy to announce the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv has made 10,086 tissue samples discoverable through the GGBN data portal, including 669 genera, 76 of which are new to GGBN. The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History houses the largest, most important collection of East Mediterranean vertebrates (marine and fresh water, desert and Mediterranean vegetation) in the world. It contains thousands of tissue samples of taxa: from geographic variants to species and higher taxa not represented anywhere else.

NM LOGO.png

12 April 2022 GGBN Newsletter

The GGBN 2022 Newsletter has just been released and is available through the GGBN Document Library 2022 Newsletter

GGBN2022 Newsletter page1.png

07 March 2022 GGBN-GGI Awards Call

Ggbn-ggi-awards-program 600x300.jpg
We are happy to announce the 2022 GGBN-GGI Awards Program. The program provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network's Data Portal. The proposal review committee will consider requests for up to 20,000 USD with clearly articulated budget justifications. Priority consideration will be given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. It is mandatory that all data from funded projects are made available online on the GGBN Portal before 1 September 2024. The submission deadline for 2022 proposals is Monday May 23, 2022.

For more information, please visit our information page.

07 February 2022 Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is seeking an independent contractor

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is seeking an independent contractor to provide administrative and project management support to the Global Genome Biodiversity Network General Secretariat Office for all GGBN activities. The contract period is for 12 months with options to extend.

Qualified individuals are invited to review the attached Request for Quotes (RFQ) and Statement of Work (SOW) for specifics. Details on what to include in the quote package and how to submit it are available in the RFQ. Interested parties should contact Katie Barker (barkerk@si.edu) for a copy of the RFQ and SOW.

Responses are due Monday, February 28th, 8am EST. Applicants should register as a federal contractor in the System for Award Management (SAM) concurrently to responding to the RFQ.

Please forward this announcement to any qualified candidates who might be interested. Feel free to contact me if there are any questions.

31 January 2022 United States National Science Foundation (NSF) Antarctic Biorepository Workshop (Feb 2-4)

The upcoming virtual United States National Science Foundation (NSF) Antarctic Biorepository Workshop (Feb 2-4) will include a variety of biologists and curators, including those from several GGBN member institutions, to discuss the development of a biorepository for Antarctic biological specimens! This 3-day workshop, led by co-chairs Dr. Elizabeth Crockett and co-chair Dr. Kristen O'Brian (Institute of Arctic Biology & Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska, Fairbanks), aims to assess the current state of Antarctic collections, evaluate strategies for maximizing specimen visibility/accessibility, and address the need and scope for a biorepository of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic biological specimens. The agenda & more info can be found on the workshop website.

19 January 2022 PNAS Special Feature on Earth Biogenome Project Published

The PNAS special feature on the Earth Biogenome Project is now online, see: https://www.pnas.org/cc/the-earth-biogenome-project. GGBN is an EBP partner, co-authoring several publications as part of this special feature.

19 October 2021 Slides available for MOBILISE workshop on a data standard for loans and permits

Mobilise.jpg

100 people from more than 20 countries participated in the MOBILISE workshop on a data standard for loans and permits on 29th/30th September 2021! Attendees represented all major disciplines housed in a Natural History Museum (biology, anthropology, mineralogy, palaeontology) as well as technical infrastructures. On the first day presentations from all disciplines provided an overview about the current status of managing permits and loans. On the second day four breakout sessions worked on the topic in detail. We are confident that we made good progress in understanding and addressing the challenges of meeting legal and ethical requirements connected to our information management. Presentations have been made available through the GGBN Document Library. Links to slides have been added to the Agenda doc and can be accessed without an account: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_zpvMb8za9jeG4GbHGsrAKRSLGYqXGazWLh_oggwBOE/edit#heading=h.n8be552nw75y A workshop report will be published in the RIO journal and will be available in early 2022. As a next step a smaller group will write a charter for a new Task Group under TDWG to develop the new data standard. More information will follow as soon as the new Task Group has been approved by TDWG.

05 October 2021 The Huntington Joins GGBN

We are happy to announce that The Huntington has joined GGBN. The biobank collection includes 1651 DNA and tissue samples represent 172 plant species. Tissue samples are stored in silica Gel at room temperature or -80 deg C and DNA is stored in TE buffer at -80 degrees C.

HTG logo.jpg

05 October 2021 Royal Botanic Garden Jordan Joins GGBN

We are happy to announce that the Royal Botanic Garden Jordan has joined GGBN. The collection includes 2500 DNA samples and 1219 seed samples representing 430 species of plants. Samples are stored in silica, and a cold room at 1-4C.

RBG Logo.jpg

16 August 2021 MOBILISE Workshop on a Data Standard for Loans and Permits: 29/30 September

Mobilise.jpg

We are happy to announce this year’s MOBILISE workshop on a data standard for loans and permits.

It will take place virtually on 29./30. September 2021, 3-6pm UTC (5-8pm CEST) on both days.

Background: Making legal information that is associated with specimens or data traceable in digital resources is an important goal of many initiatives. It facilitates the compliance with the Nagoya protocol in collections and collection infrastructures. In close collaboration with SYNTHESYS+ NA3 (work package on molecular standards and processes) we discussed that the goal is best addressed by making legal information part of the data structure and by developing a data standard for loans and permits.

Goals of the workshop: In the workshop we would like to find out what a data standard for loans and permits should consider. A start has been made for GGBN and the DNA and tissue collections, and the goal is to extend the standard to other types of natural science collections. We will therefore invite representatives of different disciplines and infrastructures within the natural sciences.

The workshop will be divided into a more general information session and into several parallel working sessions. More information will follow. Please contact Eva Haeffner via e.haeffner@bgbm.org until August, 31st 2021 if you or someone from your network are interested in participating.

08 August 2021 GGBN-GGI Award Recipients

Ggbn-ggi-awards-program 600x300.jpg

We are happy to announce the results of the GGBN-GGI 2021 Awards Program. A total of six highly competitive proposals representing institutions across five countries were received and ranked by a peer review committee representative of GGBN membership. The panel ranked the proposals on the following metrics: complementarity to existing collections on GGBN; the size, scope, and quality of the collection; the genomic novelty of the collection; adherence to GGBN best practices; the efficiency or cost-effectiveness of the proposal; contribution to the GGBN community; and the timeline for completion. Priority consideration was given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. The total funding requested was over 118,000 USD, just over 56,000 USD was awarded. Awardees will be contributing over 9,000 new genetic samples to the GGBN data portal by September 2023.

GGBN-GGI 2021 Awardees include:

  • Instituto de investigación de recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt/Colombia
  • National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/Brazil
  • Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, DNA Bank (ADNUAA)/Mexico
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia/Colombia


The titles and abstracts of these proposals can be found on the GGBN awards program page, along with general award program information.

Congratulations everyone!

02 August 2021 GGBN Conference in China Postponed until 2025

GGBN2025.jpg

Due to the continued disruptions to travel associated with Covid-19, GGBN will be postponing its conference in China, hosted by the China National GeneBank, until 2025. As a result, our next conference will be in Mexico, hosted by the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes in 2023.

6 July 2021 Atlanta Botanical Garden joins GGBN

ABG logo 600x300.png
We are happy to announce that Atlanta Botanical Garden has joined GGBN from the United States. ABG's collection includes DNA and tissue samples from over 750 plant species.

4 June 2021 GGBN Governance Documents Available in Spanish

Spanish language docs 600x300.png
We are delighted to announce the Spanish translation of GGBN's Memorandum of Understanding and Terms of Reference. These translated governance documents are designed to be helpful tools for both prospective and existing Spanish-speaking GGBN Members. These resources can be found in the Membership Documents section of GGBN's Membership page.

28 May 2021 Inala Jurassic Garden joins GGBN

IJG logo 600x300.png
We are happy to announce that Inala Jurassic Garden has joined GGBN from Tasmania, Australia. IJG's collection includes DNA and tissue samples from over 100 species.

28 May 2021 Core Facility Botanical Garden, University of Vienna joins GGBN

GGBN logo 600x300.png
We are happy to announce that the Core Facility Botanical Garden, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna has joined GGBN. UNIVIE's collection represents 12,500 living plant species and 1.5 million herbarium vouchers.

26 May 2021 GGBN Virtual Symposium "Operating a Biobank During a Pandemic"

Coronavirus open access.jpg
The Global Genome Biodiversity Network is pleased to announce a short virtual symposium, to be held on June 9th starting at 7am US Pacific, 10am US Eastern and 4pm Central European Summer Time. The theme of the meeting is "Operating a Biobank During a Pandemic: Facing Challenges During a Period of Heightened Relevance." The meeting is intended for the GGBN community to discuss the challenges, adaptations, and opportunities related to operating a biobank during a pandemic. For the full program with abstracts please visit the symposium page.

Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsde6hqjkuEtRKVvJUVim9VU2J7Ubu8oC-

After your registration has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions to enable you to join the Zoom meeting.

4 May 2021 Tooro Botanical Gardens joins GGBN

TBG logo 600x300.jpg
We are happy to announce that the Tooro Botanical Gardens has joined GGBN as the first GGBN Member from Uganda. TBG's collection includes over 450 DNA, tissue, and environmental samples of plants, representing 50 species.

13 April 2021 GGBN Annual Newsletter now available

GGBN2021Newsletter 600x300.jpg
GGBN's annual newsletter is now available here: https://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/Newsletters

29 March 2021 Universidad Nacional de Colombia joins GGBN

UNAL logo 600x300.png
We are happy to announce that the Universidad Nacional de Colombia / National University of Colombia has joined GGBN. UNAL's collection includes over 2000 tissue and DNA samples of microorganisms and vertebrates, representing 290 species.

29 March 2021 Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute joins GGBN

JNTBGRI logo 600x300.png
We are happy to announce that the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute has joined GGBN as our first member from India. JNTBGRI plans to make discoverable 100 plant tissue samples.

22 March 2021 GGBN-GGI Awards Call for Proposals

Ggbn-ggi-awards-program 600x300.jpg
We are happy to announce the 2021 GGBN-GGI Awards Program. The program provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network's Data Portal. The proposal review committee will consider requests for up to 20,000 USD with clearly articulated budget justifications. This year priority consideration will be given to proposals that represent institutions and collections 1) from the global south, 2) from countries with a low or middle-income (based on the latest WESP Economy by per capita GNI), and 3) that strategically address high-level taxonomic gaps in the GGBN Data Portal. It is mandatory that all data from funded projects are made available online on the GGBN Portal before 1 September 2023. The submission deadline for 2021 proposals is April 30, 2021.

29 January 2021 Northwestern University Ecological Park & Botanic Gardens joins GGBN

NUEBG logo 300x600.jpg
We are happy to announce that the Northwestern University Ecological Park & Botanic Gardens has joined GGBN as our first member from the Philippines. NUEBG's collection includes over 2000 tissue samples representing over 2300 plant species.

6 January 2021 Mientrung Institute for Scientific Research joins GGBN

MISR logo 600x300.jpg
We are happy to announce that the Mientrung Institute for Scientific Research (MISR), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) has joined GGBN as our latest member from Viet Nam. MISR's collections include DNA samples of plants and microorganisms.

10 December 2020 GGBN Conference postponed until March 2022

Due to the continuation of the coronavirus pandemic in China and globally, the GGBN Executive Committee has agreed with the China National GeneBank to postpone the GGBN 2020 Conference in Shenzhen, China until March 21-25, 2022.

In early 2021 GGBN will have a series of small focused online working group meetings with GGBN members and partners. We look forward to meeting in person in Shenzhen in March of 2022. The GGBN Conference originally planned for 2022 will now take place in early November 2023 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, hosted by Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes.

GGBN2022-conference.jpg

3 December 2020 Hungarian Natural History Museum makes collections discoverable

We are happy to announce the Hungarian Natural History Museum has made 11,400 samples discoverable to GGBN’s Data Portal. These samples add ca. 40 new fungi, animal and plant families and 250 new genera of primarily endemic taxa from the Pannonian Biogeographical Region, as well as rare taxa collected in the Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, South-East Asia, Africa and Central-America. Congratulations to the team at Hungarian Natural History Museum!

HNHM logo 300x600.jpg

20 November 2020 Fiocruz makes protozoa collections discoverable

We are happy to announce that Fiocruz has made their protozoa collection discoverable adding 12 genera and 33 species to GGBN's online collections.

Fiocruz-logo.jpg

30 October 2020 GGBN Data Portal User Survey: Please participate by December 1

Survey-icon-19203.png
GGBN is redesigning and upgrading the search functionality and display of the GGBN Data Portal, which was designed to serve as a single-stop search platform for researchers to locate genomic samples from biodiversity biobanks around the world.

We are asking for input from those that conduct non-human molecular research, to ensure that the redesign meets your needs. Please fill out and share this survey by December 1.

6 October 2020 INVEMAR joins GGBN

INVEMAR logo.png
We are happy to announce that the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras Jose Benito Vives de Andreis INVEMAR has joined GGBN as our latest member from Colombia. INVEMAR's collections include tissue samples of vertebrates and marine invertebrates.

6 October 2020 TDWG 2020 Genomic Biodiversity Interest Group Session now available

The TDWG 2020 session on environmental samples and associated standards is now available on YouTube. This working group session took place during the joint TDWG and Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) Biodiversity Genomics Working Group (aka GBWG). See TDWG 2020: Genomic Biodiversity Interest Group - Working Session.

21 July 2020 BioCASe Provider Software "Hands On" Webinar now available

The second DarwinCore Hour webinar on BioCASe provider software "Using BioCASe to provide data to GBIF and GGBN - hands on" is now available, along with the first BioCASe webinar "Using BioCASe to provide data to GBIF and GGBN - overview". See GGBN's use cases and tutorials on data management and publishing.

News Archive

Older news can be found in the GGBN News Archive.