Plant Genetic Resources In Vitro Culture: Present Situation and Prospects for Propagation, Conservation and Sustainable Use

Dear Colleagues,

Plant genetic resources comprise a wide range of plant species such as herbs, shrubs and trees that are of a great importance to ensuring food, nutrition and health security. Biotic or abiotic stresses, human activities and climate change have long threatened the biodiversity in their natural habitat, causing an exponential loss of plant germplasm throughout the world. Thus, there is an urgent need to slow down genetic erosion and instigate their conservation and sustainable utilization. Advances in biotechnology can generate new opportunities for the rational use and regeneration of valuable plant material by adopting techniques such as in vitro culture and conservation. This Special Issue will focus on novel approaches of in vitro culture and ex vitro acclimatization that can positively influence the use of plant genetic resources for biomass or secondary metabolites production, as well as efficient in vitro storage methods and cryopreservation technologies applied to ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality plants as raw materials for different uses.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

• Role of in vitro techniques for biodiversity conservation;
• Protocols for micropropagation;
• Optimization of ex vitro acclimatization;
• Use of liquid culture;
• Methods for medium- and long-term conservation;
• Production of bioactive compounds in vitro;
• Future prospects for the sustainable use of genetic resources.

Dr. Anna De Carlo
Dr. Waed Tarraf
Guest Editors

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