Seed Freezing of Short-Lived Seeds Cryopreservation can help often extend the longevity of seeds that are short-lived in storage at -20oC. Below are selected references to publications and videos on short-lived seeds and on evaluating seeds for their longevity in conventional seed banks to determine whether -20oC or liquid nitrogen storage will be the most efficient method for long-term storage. Video Resources Challenges and solutions for the long-term storage of seeds and spores with short lifespans in traditional seed banks by Rachel Davies Expand for More Info Following an MSc in Plant Conservation and Seed Banking at the University of Sussex, I joined the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in 2008, working as a member of the seed collection curation team at the Millennium Seed Bank. My current role is that of Germination Specialist, focused on seed germination, dormancy and longevity, with responsibility to maintain high standards in the management of this internationally important collection. My research is aimed at solving collection-related problems and setting optimum viability monitoring intervals that underpin the effective management of the MSB’s collections. I also provide training in all aspects of seed conservation and have presented at conferences worldwide. Identifying and storing freezing-sensitive seeds by Karen Sommerville Expand for More Info Karen Sommerville is a horticultural scientist with a passion for conservation. Her research experience ranges from the reproductive biology and genetics of saltmarsh plants to symbiotic culture of orchids and the storage behaviour of rainforest seeds. Since 2015, she has been leading the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project at The Australian PlantBank, working to determine which Australian rainforest species are suitable for seedbanking and which require alternative methods of ex situ conservation. She recently published a key to aid more rapid identification of desiccation sensitivity or tolerance for rainforest seeds (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02244-1), and is now using differential scanning calorimetry to investigate the response of those seeds to freezing and thawing. This work will contribute to the conservation of rainforest plants by helping to identify the most appropriate storage temperatures for seedbanking. Expand for Selected References Ballesteros D, Pence VC (2017) Survival and death of seeds during liquid nitrogen storage: a case study on seeds with short lifespans. CryoLetters 38:278–289. Chau MM, Chambers T, Weisenberger L, Keir M, Kroessig TI, Wolkis D, Kam R, Yoshinaga AY. (2019) Seed freeze-sensitivity and ex situ longevity of 295 species in the native Hawaiian flora. Am J Bot 106:1–23. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1351 Colville L, Pritchard HW (2019) Seed life span and food security. New Phytol 14:1-6. doi: 10.1111/nph.16006 Davies R (2018) Evaluation of short-lived seeds ’ cryopreservation as alternative to conventional seed banking . Cryobiology 85:140–141. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2018.10.088 Davies RM, Newton RJ, Hay FR, Probert RJ (2016) 150-seed comparative longevity protocol -A reduced seed number screening method for identifying short-lived seed conservation collections. Seed Sci Technol 44:569–584. doi: 10.15258/sst.2016.44.3.13 Mondoni A, Probert RJ, Rossi G, et al (2011) Seeds of alpine plants are short lived: Implications for long-term conservation. Ann Bot 107:171–179. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcq222 Walters C, Wheeler L, Stanwood PC (2004) Longevity of cryogenically stored seeds. Cryobiiology 48:229–244. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2004.01.007 CPC, Alexandra Seglias, Denver Botanic Garden: https://saveplants.org/video/can-alpine-species-bank-on-conservation/ CPC Rare Plant Academy: Kim Norton Taylor, BRIT. https://saveplants.org/video/assessing-seed-storage-behavior-of-the-texas-flora-to-inform-seed-bank-design/ RBG Kew: R. Newton, F. Hay and R. Probert, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Protocol for comparative seed longevity testing. Technical Information Sheet 01. http://brahmsonline.kew.org/Content/Projects/msbp/resources/Training/01-Comparative-longevity.pdf RBG Kew: Seed Storage: Predict likely behaviour. https://seedcollections.shinyapps.io/seed_storage_predictor/