Biodiversity Biobanks South Africa

08/06/2026

Happy ! More than seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. It’s where life began - and even now, where most of life’s diversity lives. It takes a special biodiversity biobank to deal with all that. Luckily, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, Eastern Cape is up to the task. With over a million aquatic specimens, including amphibians, cephalopods, tunicates and diatoms, and several coelacanths, NRF-SAIAB is an internationally-recognised centre for the study of aquatic biodiversity.

05/06/2026

Did you know? South Africa is a wonderful place, with thousands of fascinating species of plants, animals, fungi and more. This we’re looking at how biodiversity biobanks can help to keep it that way - and how that helps us fight poverty, food insecurity and climate change.

https://bbsa.org.za/2023/07/18/shared-wealth-environmental-health-how-biobanking-benefits-south-africa/

04/06/2026

WE WANT YOU! Youth Month is a chance to think about where we’re going, and to plan for a bright future. But it’s also a chance to reflect on where we’ve been, to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished. So this month, we’re celebrating young scientists, technicians and others who’ve overcome the odds to get to where they are…and proving that the of tomorrow are making a difference.

So if that’s you, why not let us share your story with the world?

Find out more:
https://bbsa.org.za/2026/05/20/young-biobanking-superstars-we-want-you/

01/06/2026

Happy ! Milk matters - it's a vital, accessible food source that nourishes billions. And this year, we're honouring the women who make that possible - women like National Department of Agriculture researcher Dr Gretha Snyman.

As researcher and manager at the Grootfontein Biobank for Sheep & Goats, Gretha’s work helps farmers, researchers and policymakers better understand these bovines. That’s important for , and more. And it’s also just a lot of fun.

Find out more about Gretha and her work here: https://bbsa.org.za/2023/08/08/meet-the-member-gretha-snyman-the-goat-of-goat-biobanking/

28/05/2026

? Human civilization as we know it is heavily dependent on agriculture, for , and more. Most of the food calories we consume come, directly or indirectly, from domesticated plants - and so do many of the products we use every single day.

So it’s no surprise that farmers all around the world have spent centuries overseeing evolution in crops, combining genes in new and different ways to form new varieties suited to their needs. We've just gotten a bit better at it, thanks to biobanks like those at the National Department of Agriculture Plant Genetic Resources Centre.

Find out more:
https://bbsa.org.za/2026/05/12/the-national-plant-genetics-resource-centre-supporting-small-farmers-south-africas-food-security/

25/05/2026

Happy ! Biobanking is a young but important science - and biobanks provide critical infrastructure for advancing research, , and understanding genetic . That's particularly important in Africa, the continent that cradled humankind and hosts incredible amounts of biodiversity.

So what is the current state of biobanking across the continent? What are we doing well? What can we be doing better? And how much more can we do together?

The Pan-African Biobanking Network (PABNet) conducted a feasibility study to better understand existing African biobanking capacities, practices, and challenges - and here’s what they found.

https://bbsa.org.za/2026/04/30/how-biobanking-works-in-africa-a-pan-african-pilot-study/

22/05/2026

Happy ! Did you know? South Africa is one of the world's most biodiverse regions. Our big game and other wildlife attracts millions of tourists every year, boosting the economy and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. And our many magnificent plants, fungi and microbes hold the key to addressing many of our food security and medicinal challenges (among other things).

Biobanks can help study, preserve and protect that diversity - and also help solve food security, medical and economic challenges. But how does that actually happen?

https://bbsa.org.za/2023/06/23/south-africa-is-famous-for-its-biodiversity-heres-how-the-bbsa-helps-manage-that/

21/05/2026

Happy ! Did you know? Rooibos tea is a part of South Africa's heritage. It's been consumed for centuries, cultivated by the KhoiSan, and has increasingly been studied and celebrated for its bio-active properties in South Africa and beyond.

And thanks to at the Agricultural Research Council, we're learning to do more with this incredible plant - like how to make rooibos wine (true story).

And that's just part of the great work done by ARC biobanks! Find out more...

https://bbsa.org.za/2025/10/31/agricultural-research-council-biobanks-to-feed-a-nation/

19/05/2026

[REGISTER NOW] Interested in ? Want to delve into around the world? Registration is still open for TaxonWorks Together, a three-day virtual perspective on describing life - and it's FREE.

Join taxonomists, researchers, collection managers, data managers, software developers, research software engineers, ecologists, policy makers and artists from around the world to discuss eDNA, genomics and DNA barcodes, taxonomy and community portals, global aggregators and AI in bioinformatics, and much, much more.

And hurry - starts today!

Annual event about the collective work in the creation of data to Describe life

12/05/2026

[READ] Happy ! Here's a fun fact: people need plants. They’re an essential part of the environments and ecosystems around us. Most of the calories we eat come, directly or indirectly, from plants. Many of the medicines we use to live longer and better lives are derived from plants. Even the air we breathe - that comes from plants as well. So we’d better do all we can to make sure we protect them. Here’s how can help…

https://bbsa.org.za/2026/05/12/why-biobanks-matter-protecting-plants-promoting-a-better-life/