An official website of the United States government
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
 Image Number K8667-1 |
Technician Jolene Hansen examines seeds preserved in a vat of liquid nitrogen that can hold 5,000 containers of up to 2,000 seeds. The longevity of cryopreserved seeds is projected to be hundreds of years, but scientist periodically remove them to assess their viability and vigor.
Photo by Scott Bauer.
