GRIN-U Online learning for plant genetic resources conservation and use

Sustaining the network of genebanks that conserve PGR requires knowledgeable staff with skills in acquiring, maintaining, regenerating, evaluating, documenting, and distributing PGR accessions (Byrne et al., 2018). This site, dubbed GRIN-U, is aimed at helping genebank staff gain and enhance their skills in these areas. Information will also be provided to guide plant breeders and geneticists in uncovering gene functions and incorporating useful genes into new varieties. This program to develop PGR training materials had its genesis at a workshop in Fort Collins, CO in 2018. Attendees included university faculty, USDA scientists, and representatives from the genebanks of Canada and Mexico, the private sector, and NGO’s. They recommended development of a multi-faceted program that included formal university courses and an online resource library of learning materials (Volk et al., 2019a). A follow-up online survey identified the subject areas that specific groups of users considered most important for training purposes (Volk et al., 2019b). In 2020, the Higher Education Challenge Grant Program of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a 3-year grant to scientists and educators from Colorado State University, Iowa State University, USDA-ARS, and a private contractor. Among the project’s objectives was development of this repository to provide centralized access to a variety of PGR training materials and links to other publicly available sources of PGR information.