ABSTRACT
Ex situ collections play a central role in the preservation and research of biodiversity as they store biodiversity in a nutshell. Whereas plant, animal, microbe (from yeasts or bacteria to viruses) collections do not directly contribute to conservation in situ, they serve a central function in research and contribute indirectly to conservation by (1) substituting the accession in situ, (2) securing a double set in case of loss and destruction of single cultures, (3) educating botanists and biology teachers, (4) contributing to scientific research, such as taxonomy, evolution, genetics, botany, chemical and proto-pharmaceutical analysis, (5) providing environmental education to the public, (6) offering recreation to the public in areas which are close to natural environments, thus also contributing to the appreciation of nature. In addition, collections serve a central goal in industrial research and development (R&D) based on biological resources.
