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Tunisia opens bank of genetic resources
Real estate news By Wagdy Sawahel
30 November 2007
Tunisia's president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, inaugurated a national gene bank this month (11 November) to promote the development of sustainable agriculture in the country. Located in Tunis, the National Gene Bank aims to preserve biological diversity and protect genetic resources, boost scientific research in agricultural biotechnology and promote sustainable genetic diversity for research into plant breeding and crop improvement.
It will hold 200,000 samples of genetic resources, such as seeds, semen, tissue and pollen. It will collect, identify, characterise, manage and conserve plant, animal and microorganism genetic resources, particularly for endangered species. According to Mnaouer Djemali, general director of the National Gene Bank, the bank is designed to improve coordination among operators –– researchers, farmers and nongovernmental organisations –– in genetic resources. The bank will cooperate with international gene banks and research centres and contribute to the biotechnological development of agriculture in Africa and Arab countries, Djemali told SciDev.Net.
A database of the country's plant genetic resources will be established and information will be disseminated to researchers through workshops and training programmes. The bank will also raise public awareness of the importance of conserving genetic diversity through field-research activities with farmers. Ahmed Rebai, researcher at the Tunisian Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, told SciDev.Net that many Tunisian genetic 'treasures' are stored in international collections in Europe and the United States. ?Now we can welcome these dispersed genetic resources back home,? he said.
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