The International Training Course is being organized by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) - Bioversity International Centre of Excellence. The 2013 training course 'In vitro and cryopreservation for conservation of plant genetic resources: Current methods and techniques' is being co-organized with the Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology (APCoAB), a programme of Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI).

The course will be conducted from November 26  to December 07, 2013 at NBPGR, IARI Campus, New Delhi, India. NBPGR is one of the leading institutes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India for plant genetic resources (PGR) management.

This practical, hands-on course is designed for those currently involved in the development and use of in vitro and/or cryopreservation techniques for the medium- to long-term conservation of vegetatively propagated and non-orthodox seed species.

The course aims to improve skills of participants in using tissue culture techniques for conservation and management of PGR; equip participants with essential knowledge necessary for developing and using cryopreservation techniques; enhance the use of in vitro conservation and cryopreservation protocols for germplasm of crops relevant in their countries. The course will also acquaint the participants with molecular techniques for PGR managementand make them understand the underlying principles of stress tolerance during processing for conservation.