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NordGen Receives 8,3 MDKK from Novo Nordisk Foundation to Backup Storage in Denmark

Date: 2020.10.27

We’re happy to announce that NordGen has been granted 8,3 million DKK from the Danish Novo Nordisk Foundation. The money will be used to secure that our back up storage for seeds in Denmark will be a state-of-the-art facility and that the plant genetic material stored there can undergo rigorous quality controls. Thanks to the support from Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Nordic- Baltic information system, GENBIS, will also be improved further leading to a higher value for those needing the seeds in their research and development.

The seeds we keep in our freezers composes a unique infrastructure for research and development within plant breeding. The genetic traits that the seeds carry is detrimental for us being able to adapt our agriculture to future challenges, such as climate change or new pests and diseases. That’s why the Nordic seed collection is invaluable. To create a higher level of security for the seeds, we have copies of them in both Denmark and in Svalbard Global Seed Vault in case anything should happen to the original collection in Alnarp. Recently, it was announced that we need to physically move the backup site in Denmark. In conjunction with that, NordGen applied for funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

“We saw the need to go through and examine the entire backup collection in Denmark and at the same time modernize the storage facilities. We also saw the need to improve the information system, GENBIS, that contains all the info about the seeds. That we’re now granted funds to do this through the Novo Nordisk Foundation is absolutely fantastic. It is very good news for the Nordic seed collection and anyone using it in one way or the other in their research”, said Michael Lyngkjær, responsible for the project at NordGen.

Within the project, the backup seeds will be moved to a brand new, 35 square feet bid, state-of-the-art walk-in freezer with room for 75 000 seed samples. Re-packing and characterization of the seed samples will take place in a new purpose-built seed lab placed close to walk-in freezer.

Sustainable Development

Novo Nordisk is a Dansk pharmaceutical company. Their foundation’s focus is to improve the lives of people through better health, education and the development of a knowledge-based sustainable society. NordGen’s project with updating the backup storage in Denmark and updating the information system fitted well into their view of how their money should be spent.

“The Novo Nordisk Foundation supports the establishment of a new infrastructure for storage of the Nordic plant seed collection and a gene-bank platform GRIN-Global. The infrastructure will improve conservation, long-term viability and characterization of plant seeds and can contribute to scientific progress in future crop production as it will allow for an extensive overview and description of plant seeds for the benefit of researchers, educators, and breeders in Denmark, Scandinavia and world-wide”, said Niels-Henrik von Holstein-Rathlou, Senior Vice President, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Practical Work

The work with moving, analyzing and re-marking the seed samples at the backup storage facility in Denmark will take some time. 55 000 different seed samples will be opened and registered in the information system GENBIS. In total, the project will go on for three years, from 2021 until the end of 2023.

“It’s a momentous task we have ahead of use. But it will lead to an increased value and a considerable improvement of the Nordic seed collection. In the long-term, it will lead to better prerequisites for our entire society to readjust to a more sustainable future”, said Michael Lyngkjær.