Mission Statement
The National Germplasm Resources Laboratory's mission is to support the National
Genetic Resources Program. Primary emphasis is on the U.S. National Plant Germplasm
System (NPGS) whose mission is to collect, document, preserve, evaluate, enhance
and distribute plant genetic resources for improving the quality and production
of economic crops important to U.S. and world agriculture. The Plant Exchange
Office procures plant germplasm through international and domestic exchanges
of plants and seeds, documents and assigns unique identifiers to incoming material
and responds to foreign requests for germplasm maintained in the U.S. In addition,
it prioritizes U.S. Germplasm needs, arranges for and participates in international
and domestic plant explorations, and studies the natural history and in situ
maintenance of crop plants and their progenitors. Databases are maintained and
information summaries prepared on useful and potentially useful plants of the
world. The Germplasm Resources Information Network Database Management Unit
(GRIN/DBMU) develops and administers the computerized database of information
on all germplasm maintained in the NPGS. The GRIN/DBMU is filling a similar
role for insect, microbial and animal germplasm collections as they develop.
Organization
NGRL is composed of two units and several databases. The units are located in
one building at BARC. The laboratory services databases for about 50 locations.
Laboratory Leader and Assistants
Allan Stoner, Research Leader
email: astoner@ars-grin.gov
Nancy Ryan, Laboratory Secretary
email: nryan@ars-grin.gov
Address
10300 Baltimore Blvd.
Bldg. 003, Room 102
Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350
Return to: BARC
Last updated: 14 February 2002
For comments or questions, contact: dbmu@ars-grin.gov