Environmental Specimen Banking activities in Denmark

At present there are no centralised, national ESB in Denmark. Biotic specimens are stored at research institutes, universities and museums. Furthermore, there is no co-ordinating of ESB- activities. It is up to the different institutions or scientist to decide how the banking should be done, length of storage, access to samples etc. The specimens are mostly stored dry at room temperature, frozen at mostly -20^°C or in ethanol.

Plans of a national monitoring sampling programme with specimen banking in Denmark was made. However, these plans were never realised mainly because of finance problems. Proposals for specimens banking of materials collected during research projects in Greenland have been made. Also in this case the plans were unrealised.

 

List of institutions that store biotic specimens

Risų National Laboratory, Plant Biology and Biogeochemistry Department
Plants are stored with the purpose of genetic research and plant disease research.

Greenland Institute of Natural Resources
Tissues of animals and whole animals are stored for studies of population structure (e.g. genetic), temporal and spatial trend of contaminant and prevalence of zoonoses.

National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Arctic Environment (DAE/AM)
Tissues of animals and whole animals are stored for temporal and spatial monitoring of contaminants and studies of population structure (e.g. genetic). DAE/AM also store lichens and plants together with seaweeds.

For further information please contact:
Gert Asmund
National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Arctic Environment
Tagensvej 135, 4th floor
2200 Copenhagen N
Denmark

Phone: +45 35 82 14 15
Fax: +45 35 82 14 20
E-mail: gas@dmu.dk