DNA Tissue Bank

The DNA collection consists of over 4,600 specimens of silica-preserved leaf tissue of vascular plants from Hawaii and other Pacific archipelagos as well as material from plant species represented in the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s living collections.

The DNA collections are being used for research using genetic information to help us understand how plants are related, where they came from and how they have evolved, as well as what the genetic diversity is in rare plant populations, and in our conservation collections.

The desiccated tissue is held in long-term cold storage at a temperature of -10° F. All material is available for use by collaborators, currently at no cost although donations covering curation and shipping are welcome.

The DNA collections can be browsed using the Herbarium Search Engine, by limiting the search for specimens with ancillary material: DNA.

Note: link on Herbarium Search Engine: https://ntbg.org/database/herbarium

NTBG is a member of the Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) and the majority of NTBGs DNA tissue collections are also being registered in GGBNs database.

Note: link on Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN): http://www.ggbn.org/

For further information please contact:
Director of Science and Conservation Nina Rønsted, nronsted@ntbg.org
Curator of the Herbarium Tim Flynn, tflynn@ntbg.org
Manager of the DNA Tissue Bank Ken Wood, kwood@ntbg.org

To learn more about our collections browse these pages. Some of our underlying databases are public. Access to the herbarium and library collections in the Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center for scientific or education purposes can be arranged. See contact information under each collection.

Public tours of NTBGs five gardens can be booked online. The Behind the Scenes tour, South Shore Kauai includes the nursery and botanical research center.