Tunisia: Creation of an African and Arab Gene's Bank

For a long time ex-situ and genetic resources conservation efforts were not considered as a high priority in the Arab World although the region contains a lot of the global wealth of plant genetic diversity. One impressive breakthrough was announced a few days ago with the creation of the "first" gene bank in Africa and the Arab World in Tunisia. I am not really certain whether this is really the first gene bank since I know that there are gene banks in Jordan, Syria, Morocco and Saudi Arabia and a genetic resources unit in ICARDA but it a good effort that needs to be highlighted. This is the original story from All Africa website

Tunisia witnessed the creation of the first African as well Arab Gene's Bank which aims at preserving biological diversity and genetic resources, boosting scientific research as well as promoting national genetic heritage.

The establishment is equipped with refrigerated rooms capable of hosting 200,000 samples of genetic resources, notably seeds, tissues or pollens as well as research laboratories and scientific units specialised in collecting, conditioning, classifying and grafting tissues.

The Bank devotes spaces for checking the quality of samples, with the aim of treating them if need be, before preserving them or introducing them in the market. .

The National Gene's Bank was inaugurated, on the occasion of the National Tree Day, by the Head of State who planted an olive tree, thus signaling the start of a forestry campaign in all the regions of the country