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The
ArabidopsisArabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant native to Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa. A spring annual with a relatively short life cycle, arabidopsis is popular as a model organism in plant biology and genetics...
Biological Resource Center (ABRC) was established at The Ohio State University in September, 1991. Primary support for the ABRC is provided by a
National Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
grant. The mission of the ABRC is to acquire, preserve and distribute seed and DNA resources that are useful to the Arabidopsis research community.
New
seedA seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
and
DNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
enter ABRC through donation by national and international researchers. An identifying number is assigned to each stock. The stock is then evaluated, documented and made available for distribution. The preservation of seed and DNA stocks is conducted according to strict, defined protocols. Backups of stocks are maintained to ensure preservation.
The ABRC's holdings and stock distribution rates have increased rapidly so that presently hundreds of thousands of stocks are available. More than 100,000 stocks are shipped annually to researchers in more than 60 countries, and modest fees for stocks are charged.
The ABRC database functions and ordering system are incorporated into The Arabidopsis Information Resource, (TAIR). Researchers can obtain information about Arabidopsis, perform stock searches, order stocks, and view current and past orders.
They welcome new seed and DNA stock donations at any time.