1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:05,729 Speaker 1: Five, four, three, two, one. 2 00:00:13,230 --> 00:00:16,170 Cate Blanchett: You're probably wondering why you're hearing the sound of a 3 00:00:16,170 --> 00:00:21,060 Cate Blanchett: rocket launch in a podcast about seeds. Well, it's because 4 00:00:21,270 --> 00:00:25,290 Cate Blanchett: at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank in Wakehurst's wild botanic gardens, 5 00:00:25,590 --> 00:00:29,880 Cate Blanchett: scientists are sending seeds into space to test the boundaries 6 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,809 Cate Blanchett: of life as we know it. They're asking huge questions 7 00:00:34,260 --> 00:00:37,229 Cate Blanchett: like what happens when a seed leaves the planet that 8 00:00:37,229 --> 00:00:40,770 Cate Blanchett: shaped it? How might seeds help us adapt, survive, even 9 00:00:40,770 --> 00:00:45,090 Cate Blanchett: thrive in environments beyond our own? And how might those 10 00:00:45,090 --> 00:00:48,390 Cate Blanchett: answers help us adapt to our own very quickly changing 11 00:00:48,390 --> 00:00:54,150 Cate Blanchett: world? It may sound like science fiction, but it's happening 12 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:54,959 Cate Blanchett: right now. 13 00:00:55,470 --> 00:00:58,770 Anne Visscher: It's taken us our life on earth, more than three 14 00:00:58,770 --> 00:01:03,240 Anne Visscher: billion years to send the first organisms into space. So, 15 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,390 Anne Visscher: I think it's good to start working on it now 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,399 Anne Visscher: and not wait until the last moment. 17 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,110 Cate Blanchett: Sending seeds into space is one way of testing the 18 00:01:13,110 --> 00:01:19,020 Cate Blanchett: limits of life, another is far closer to home. Cryopreservation, 19 00:01:19,050 --> 00:01:22,440 Cate Blanchett: plunging seeds into temperatures far below anything it'd ever encounter 20 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,010 Cate Blanchett: in nature, is pushing the boundaries of what's possible here 21 00:01:26,010 --> 00:01:30,900 Cate Blanchett: on earth. And it's offering a lifeline for species that 22 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:32,910 Cate Blanchett: conventional storage can't protect. 23 00:01:33,660 --> 00:01:36,150 Louise Colville: Inside are these racks, and as the racks are very cold, 24 00:01:36,150 --> 00:01:37,979 Louise Colville: so even with my gloves on I can still feel 25 00:01:37,980 --> 00:01:41,310 Louise Colville: it's quite cold to hold. And in here, I think 26 00:01:41,310 --> 00:01:44,730 Louise Colville: there's space for thousands of samples inside each of these vessels. 27 00:01:46,890 --> 00:01:50,820 Cate Blanchett: The choices we make now, the seeds we protect today, 28 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,110 Cate Blanchett: and the science that makes their preservation possible will shape 29 00:01:55,110 --> 00:02:00,720 Cate Blanchett: the lives of generations to come. I'm Cate Blanchett, Kew's 30 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,790 Cate Blanchett: ambassador for Wakehurst, and this is Unearthed: The Need for 31 00:02:05,790 --> 00:02:16,350 Cate Blanchett: Seeds. Episode three, The Future. If you're wondering, as I 32 00:02:16,350 --> 00:02:20,340 Cate Blanchett: did, why with so many pressing challenges here on Earth, 33 00:02:20,460 --> 00:02:24,450 Cate Blanchett: Wakehurst is casting their gaze out into space, I don't 34 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:30,720 Cate Blanchett: blame you. Space is perhaps the harshest environment imaginable, and 35 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,679 Cate Blanchett: certainly not the easiest to reach. But for Anne Visscher, 36 00:02:34,830 --> 00:02:37,919 Cate Blanchett: a research fellow in the seed and stress biology team 37 00:02:37,950 --> 00:02:42,330 Cate Blanchett: here at the MSB, putting seeds into space opens up 38 00:02:42,330 --> 00:02:45,090 Cate Blanchett: an extraordinary spectrum of possibilities. 39 00:02:45,389 --> 00:02:49,740 Anne Visscher: There are several aims for sending seeds into space, and 40 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,680 Anne Visscher: one of them is to have them included in life 41 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,130 Anne Visscher: support systems for human missions to Mars or the moon. 42 00:02:56,850 --> 00:03:00,450 Anne Visscher: Another reason might be to store seeds as part of 43 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,440 Anne Visscher: small banks on the moon as a second backup for 44 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:09,060 Anne Visscher: use on earth, and those are called biorepositories. And then, 45 00:03:09,060 --> 00:03:12,000 Anne Visscher: a third aim has been mentioned for years already is 46 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,079 Anne Visscher: the idea of maybe perhaps terraforming Mars in the distant future. 47 00:03:16,410 --> 00:03:19,950 Cate Blanchett: Anne is at the heart of several remarkable space projects, 48 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,489 Cate Blanchett: two of which are destined for the International Space Station. 49 00:03:23,820 --> 00:03:27,419 Anne Visscher: One will be housed on the outside, exposing 24 different 50 00:03:27,419 --> 00:03:32,399 Anne Visscher: species to the actual outer space conditions, and then about 51 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,910 Anne Visscher: six species will be going to the inside of this station. 52 00:03:36,150 --> 00:03:39,420 Cate Blanchett: And one is even set to journey to the moon. 53 00:03:39,780 --> 00:03:43,650 Anne Visscher: And then there's a project that is preparing to send 54 00:03:43,650 --> 00:03:46,230 Anne Visscher: seeds to the surface of the moon, first in a 55 00:03:46,230 --> 00:03:50,310 Anne Visscher: dry state, and then a subsequent mission to do a 56 00:03:50,310 --> 00:03:52,440 Anne Visscher: germination kind of experiment as well. 57 00:03:52,860 --> 00:03:56,700 Cate Blanchett: Space is an environment so unforgiving that just surviving is 58 00:03:56,700 --> 00:04:00,240 Cate Blanchett: a challenge, and that is exactly what Anne and her 59 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,610 Cate Blanchett: team are putting these seeds up against. 60 00:04:02,790 --> 00:04:05,730 Anne Visscher: So, the conditions that our seeds will be exposed to 61 00:04:05,730 --> 00:04:09,990 Anne Visscher: on the outside of the International Space Station will be 62 00:04:10,020 --> 00:04:14,130 Anne Visscher: vacuum and radiation, and that way we can not only 63 00:04:14,250 --> 00:04:17,070 Anne Visscher: look at the effect of vacuum, and radiation, and temperature 64 00:04:17,070 --> 00:04:20,040 Anne Visscher: in combination, which will make it harder to understand what 65 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,580 Anne Visscher: each condition does for the seed, but we'll try to 66 00:04:23,580 --> 00:04:26,549 Anne Visscher: separate them out and that way we can analyze the 67 00:04:26,550 --> 00:04:30,150 Anne Visscher: effect of either vacuum on its own, the radiation on 68 00:04:30,150 --> 00:04:33,390 Anne Visscher: its own, and temperature fluctuations we'll try to mimic on 69 00:04:33,390 --> 00:04:33,930 Anne Visscher: the ground. 70 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,540 Cate Blanchett: Now stay with me here, it might sound far removed, 71 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,620 Cate Blanchett: but what we learn up there has real consequences for 72 00:04:40,620 --> 00:04:44,100 Cate Blanchett: how we safeguard seeds back down here at the MSB. 73 00:04:44,460 --> 00:04:48,180 Anne Visscher: Research on earth has shown that some species actually benefit 74 00:04:48,450 --> 00:04:52,710 Anne Visscher: from being stored without oxygen or at even lower humidities 75 00:04:52,710 --> 00:04:55,979 Anne Visscher: that we're using as a standard in the bank. Not 76 00:04:55,980 --> 00:05:00,870 Anne Visscher: all species, but some show increased longevity, which means that 77 00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:03,570 Anne Visscher: if you store them for a certain length of time 78 00:05:03,570 --> 00:05:06,599 Anne Visscher: and try to germinate them afterwards, you see a larger 79 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,900 Anne Visscher: number of seeds still germinating than if you store them 80 00:05:09,900 --> 00:05:14,039 Anne Visscher: with oxygen or at high water contents. So, some of 81 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:18,089 Anne Visscher: our findings that might come from our space research can 82 00:05:18,089 --> 00:05:20,940 Anne Visscher: have an impact on how we store seeds on earth 83 00:05:21,060 --> 00:05:21,750 Anne Visscher: in the bank. 84 00:05:22,470 --> 00:05:26,070 Cate Blanchett: The team are sending seeds into the International Space Station 85 00:05:26,250 --> 00:05:31,409 Cate Blanchett: to understand how the conditions there impact germination, and every 86 00:05:31,410 --> 00:05:34,469 Cate Blanchett: single seed has been carefully chosen to be part of 87 00:05:34,470 --> 00:05:35,310 Cate Blanchett: this experiment. 88 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:39,360 Anne Visscher: We've really tried to cover as much diversity as possible to 89 00:05:40,020 --> 00:05:43,680 Anne Visscher: be able to see if those factors make a difference, 90 00:05:44,250 --> 00:05:47,670 Anne Visscher: and these factors include the climate that they were collected 91 00:05:47,670 --> 00:05:52,800 Anne Visscher: from. Also, the family. We are also trying to have 92 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,279 Anne Visscher: a range of different seed characteristics, so the size of 93 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,580 Anne Visscher: the embryo or whether they're dormant or not, thickness of 94 00:05:59,580 --> 00:06:00,659 Anne Visscher: the seed coat. 95 00:06:01,470 --> 00:06:04,469 Cate Blanchett: By including a wide range of seeds, Anne and her 96 00:06:04,470 --> 00:06:08,880 Cate Blanchett: team can begin to understand which species are most resilient 97 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:13,800 Cate Blanchett: in space, but these aren't quick experiments. These are carefully 98 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,050 Cate Blanchett: planned long- term projects. 99 00:06:16,950 --> 00:06:21,210 Anne Visscher: We've been working on this since 2014, so we're already 100 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:27,570 Anne Visscher: 11 years underway. So, it is really a practice in patience. Hopefully 101 00:06:27,630 --> 00:06:29,400 Anne Visscher: it will fly in the next few years and we'll 102 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,900 Anne Visscher: get data back within five years. And it's always a 103 00:06:33,900 --> 00:06:38,160 Anne Visscher: matter of reducing your expectations and seeing the long- term 104 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,830 Anne Visscher: picture, but taking it one step at a time. 105 00:06:41,670 --> 00:06:44,580 Cate Blanchett: Closer to home, Anne is studying some of the most 106 00:06:44,580 --> 00:06:48,390 Cate Blanchett: extreme environments on earth as part of the Western Global 107 00:06:48,390 --> 00:06:51,420 Cate Blanchett: Tree Seed Bank, a project we first heard about in 108 00:06:51,420 --> 00:06:56,070 Cate Blanchett: episode two from Nattanit Yiamthaisong, the PhD student from Thailand. 109 00:06:56,250 --> 00:07:01,440 Anne Visscher: We are trying to identify species that can survive really 110 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:07,320 Anne Visscher: high temperatures during germination, over 40 degrees Celsius. And what 111 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:11,640 Anne Visscher: I'm doing there is screening over 100 different collections from 112 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:16,290 Anne Visscher: the Millennium Seed Bank by looking at the areas in 113 00:07:16,290 --> 00:07:19,410 Anne Visscher: the world where we can see the highest average annual 114 00:07:19,410 --> 00:07:23,970 Anne Visscher: temperature over 27 degrees. They're particularly interested in tree species, 115 00:07:24,750 --> 00:07:28,950 Anne Visscher: and what I'm trying to do is identify ones that 116 00:07:28,950 --> 00:07:32,610 Anne Visscher: have really high germination at 42 and a half degrees 117 00:07:32,610 --> 00:07:39,150 Anne Visscher: Celsius. So, we've now screened approximately 50 collections and we've 118 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,230 Anne Visscher: discovered several that show really good percentages of germination at 119 00:07:43,230 --> 00:07:47,220 Anne Visscher: that temperature. So, we are excited to hopefully discover species 120 00:07:47,220 --> 00:07:51,300 Anne Visscher: that not only grow really well in the mature plant 121 00:07:51,300 --> 00:07:54,990 Anne Visscher: state in those hot regions, but for which we also 122 00:07:54,990 --> 00:07:58,290 Anne Visscher: know that they can survive really high temperatures in their 123 00:07:58,290 --> 00:08:03,510 Anne Visscher: really early phase of germination, when the root tip first 124 00:08:03,510 --> 00:08:07,830 Anne Visscher: comes out and the seedling then develops, because ultimately what 125 00:08:07,830 --> 00:08:12,059 Anne Visscher: we're interested in is using our collections to restore habitats 126 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,160 Anne Visscher: and reforest regions. 127 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,130 Cate Blanchett: The team wanted to know if the temperature of the 128 00:08:17,130 --> 00:08:20,670 Cate Blanchett: site where each seed was collected would predict how well 129 00:08:20,670 --> 00:08:24,720 Cate Blanchett: it germinated under high heat, but the results are surprising. 130 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:29,040 Cate Blanchett: Seeds from hotter regions aren't automatically better at coping with 131 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:30,030 Cate Blanchett: extreme temperatures. 132 00:08:30,390 --> 00:08:34,350 Anne Visscher: So, we were hoping that perhaps choosing seeds from plants 133 00:08:34,350 --> 00:08:37,320 Anne Visscher: that grow in the hottest areas, even within these very 134 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:41,550 Anne Visscher: hot regions, we may have a higher amount of candidate 135 00:08:41,550 --> 00:08:44,550 Anne Visscher: species that are also tolerant during germination, but that doesn't 136 00:08:44,550 --> 00:08:48,150 Anne Visscher: seem to be necessarily the case. It seems relatively random, 137 00:08:48,210 --> 00:08:51,030 Anne Visscher: which ones are the tolerant ones and which ones are 138 00:08:51,030 --> 00:08:53,429 Anne Visscher: the sensitive ones. So, we really do need to do 139 00:08:53,429 --> 00:08:54,750 Anne Visscher: this screen to find out. 140 00:08:56,370 --> 00:09:00,390 Cate Blanchett: Anne's work depends on the seeds safely stored here at 141 00:09:00,390 --> 00:09:03,630 Cate Blanchett: the Millennium Seed Bank, and many of these seeds come 142 00:09:03,630 --> 00:09:08,610 Cate Blanchett: through the MSB's international partners, collecting locally, banking locally, and 143 00:09:08,610 --> 00:09:12,569 Cate Blanchett: sending duplicates back here to Wakehurst. But the work here 144 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,650 Cate Blanchett: isn't just about storing seeds, it's thinking about how to 145 00:09:16,650 --> 00:09:20,970 Cate Blanchett: make collections stronger for the long term. One way this 146 00:09:20,970 --> 00:09:24,990 Cate Blanchett: is happening is through the new trainer certification scheme, which 147 00:09:24,990 --> 00:09:30,030 Cate Blanchett: trains local collectors. The idea is simple, but powerful. Equip 148 00:09:30,030 --> 00:09:32,819 Cate Blanchett: people globally with the skills to collect and care for 149 00:09:32,820 --> 00:09:37,410 Cate Blanchett: seeds in their own backyards so knowledge and seeds don't 150 00:09:37,410 --> 00:09:38,819 Cate Blanchett: stay in one place. 151 00:09:40,410 --> 00:09:43,110 Meg Engelhardt: My name is Meg Engelhardt, and I'm the seed bank 152 00:09:43,110 --> 00:09:47,130 Meg Engelhardt: manager for the Missouri Botanical Garden. One project that we're 153 00:09:47,130 --> 00:09:49,980 Meg Engelhardt: working on right now is we're able to pull orchid 154 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,000 Meg Engelhardt: seeds from the past that are in populations that don't 155 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,160 Meg Engelhardt: really exist anymore or we haven't seen them in a 156 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,550 Meg Engelhardt: long time, and we're working on reintroducing those back into 157 00:09:59,550 --> 00:10:04,050 Meg Engelhardt: their native landscapes in central Missouri. And we have woodlands 158 00:10:04,050 --> 00:10:07,710 Meg Engelhardt: and glades there that are part of the Ozarks, and so 159 00:10:07,710 --> 00:10:11,490 Meg Engelhardt: we're working on those areas specifically. Kew was a big 160 00:10:11,550 --> 00:10:15,540 Meg Engelhardt: inspiration for our founder, so we've been peer institutions over 161 00:10:15,540 --> 00:10:19,199 Meg Engelhardt: time, and in more recent decades, that's really turned into 162 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,410 Meg Engelhardt: a heavy focus on plant conservation and trying to halt 163 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:23,910 Meg Engelhardt: this biodiversity loss. 164 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,570 Cate Blanchett: Meg's excited to take what she's learned here at the MSB, 165 00:10:27,690 --> 00:10:29,520 Cate Blanchett: and share that knowledge back home. 166 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,220 Meg Engelhardt: Now I get to come back here and help develop 167 00:10:32,220 --> 00:10:34,980 Meg Engelhardt: this program so that we can take it to our 168 00:10:34,980 --> 00:10:39,179 Meg Engelhardt: home countries and adapt to the people that are going 169 00:10:39,179 --> 00:10:42,570 Meg Engelhardt: to use it in our specific areas, but also the 170 00:10:42,630 --> 00:10:45,330 Meg Engelhardt: most exciting part for me is that we're all working 171 00:10:45,330 --> 00:10:48,240 Meg Engelhardt: from the same standards that have been set by the 172 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,270 Meg Engelhardt: Millennium Seed Bank. And so, when I get home I'll 173 00:10:51,270 --> 00:10:55,470 Meg Engelhardt: be able to train people who are leading their own 174 00:10:55,470 --> 00:10:58,590 Meg Engelhardt: programs or maybe just starting a small program, all the 175 00:10:58,590 --> 00:11:01,740 Meg Engelhardt: way down to practitioners who are maybe a seed collector, 176 00:11:02,010 --> 00:11:05,069 Meg Engelhardt: who then grow seeds out that people can use for 177 00:11:05,070 --> 00:11:10,380 Meg Engelhardt: restoration. So, it will apply to professionals down to practitioners. 178 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,220 Cate Blanchett: Meg says that the knowledge sharing is crucial, it's the 179 00:11:14,220 --> 00:11:17,460 Cate Blanchett: key to stopping the decline of species and ecosystems. 180 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,270 Meg Engelhardt: Halting the loss of biodiversity has been at the forefront 181 00:11:21,270 --> 00:11:23,790 Meg Engelhardt: of our institution's work, and this is going to have 182 00:11:23,790 --> 00:11:27,210 Meg Engelhardt: such a strong impact in our ability to collaborate and 183 00:11:27,210 --> 00:11:30,750 Meg Engelhardt: share that knowledge, and not keep that knowledge just to 184 00:11:30,750 --> 00:11:33,179 Meg Engelhardt: the people who have access but make sure that everyone 185 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,650 Meg Engelhardt: that can contribute to this really difficult problem have that 186 00:11:37,650 --> 00:11:39,210 Meg Engelhardt: knowledge and experience. 187 00:11:45,420 --> 00:11:49,199 Louise Colville: In this room we have three silver vessels, which look 188 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,120 Louise Colville: a bit like the vats you might see in a 189 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:56,429 Louise Colville: brewery. Each of them contain liquid nitrogen. So, liquid nitrogen 190 00:11:56,490 --> 00:12:01,080 Louise Colville: temperature is minus 196 degrees Celsius, but on these vessels 191 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,319 Louise Colville: you can see the temperature gauge is around minus 170 192 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,980 Louise Colville: degrees Celsius. So, that's the temperature of the liquid nitrogen vapor in 193 00:12:07,980 --> 00:12:09,059 Louise Colville: which the seeds are stored. 194 00:12:09,780 --> 00:12:13,980 Cate Blanchett: This is Louise Colville, senior research leader in seed biology, 195 00:12:14,370 --> 00:12:17,520 Cate Blanchett: guiding us through one of the most futuristic looking parts 196 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:23,160 Cate Blanchett: of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the cryopreservation storage room. Wearing 197 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,070 Cate Blanchett: thick gloves and safety goggles, she opens one of the 198 00:12:26,070 --> 00:12:30,240 Cate Blanchett: enormous metal barrels and a cloud of swirling vapor pours out. 199 00:12:35,100 --> 00:12:38,189 Louise Colville: So, in here we have our racks which are filled 200 00:12:38,190 --> 00:12:41,520 Louise Colville: with our samples, so that noise was the fan to 201 00:12:41,550 --> 00:12:43,290 Louise Colville: clear the vapor because we can just see a big 202 00:12:43,290 --> 00:12:47,219 Louise Colville: cloud of vapor now. And inside are these racks, and 203 00:12:47,220 --> 00:12:51,240 Louise Colville: in each rack there'll be storage boxes which contain our 204 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,570 Louise Colville: samples. The racks are very cold, so even with my 205 00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:57,090 Louise Colville: gloves on I can still feel it's quite cold to 206 00:12:57,090 --> 00:13:00,660 Louise Colville: hold. And in here, I think there's space for thousands 207 00:13:00,660 --> 00:13:04,050 Louise Colville: of samples inside each of these vessels. So, they contain 208 00:13:04,050 --> 00:13:07,140 Louise Colville: quite a lot of our short- lived orthodox seed collections, 209 00:13:07,140 --> 00:13:08,580 Louise Colville: which are duplicated from the seed bank. 210 00:13:08,610 --> 00:13:13,170 Cate Blanchett: Cryopreservation is reserved for seeds that don't take kindly to the 211 00:13:13,170 --> 00:13:17,550 Cate Blanchett: usual drying and storage process. The more tricky ones are 212 00:13:17,550 --> 00:13:21,840 Cate Blanchett: called recalcitrant seeds, ones that we touched on briefly with 213 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,929 Cate Blanchett: seed curator, Sian McCabe, in the previous episode. 214 00:13:25,290 --> 00:13:28,439 Louise Colville: Recalcitrant seeds tend to be larger, they also contain a 215 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:30,959 Louise Colville: lot of water, and they tend to have thin seed 216 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,660 Louise Colville: coats as well. So, if we think about something which 217 00:13:33,660 --> 00:13:36,150 Louise Colville: probably lots of people are familiar with acorns from oak 218 00:13:36,150 --> 00:13:40,140 Louise Colville: trees, also chestnuts. So, you tend to find species which 219 00:13:40,140 --> 00:13:43,679 Louise Colville: produce recalcitrant seeds in wetter environments. So for example, trees 220 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,950 Louise Colville: in rainforests, and the same with species like sea grass, 221 00:13:46,950 --> 00:13:49,890 Louise Colville: so they're grown in marine environments and produce recalcitrant seeds. 222 00:13:50,370 --> 00:13:52,710 Cate Blanchett: And different seeds have different needs. 223 00:13:53,010 --> 00:13:57,809 Louise Colville: The cryopreservation process typically has to be optimized or adapted 224 00:13:57,809 --> 00:14:00,929 Louise Colville: for each species. So, there's not one approach which works 225 00:14:00,929 --> 00:14:04,140 Louise Colville: for everything, which is one of the major challenges with 226 00:14:04,140 --> 00:14:07,590 Louise Colville: using cryopreservation. So, what we do is we take out 227 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,800 Louise Colville: the part of the seed called the embryonic axis, and 228 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:12,870 Louise Colville: that's the part of the seed which develops into the 229 00:14:12,870 --> 00:14:16,440 Louise Colville: new plant. And because it's much smaller, it means we 230 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:21,000 Louise Colville: can then very rapidly partially dry that tissue to a 231 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,430 Louise Colville: point where we remove the water, which will form ice. 232 00:14:24,180 --> 00:14:26,130 Louise Colville: And then, once we've reached that point we can then 233 00:14:26,130 --> 00:14:28,440 Louise Colville: very rapidly freeze it using liquid nitrogen. 234 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:32,520 Cate Blanchett: The embryonic axis is that little white part you see 235 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,610 Cate Blanchett: inside a seed. It's what I saw when we cut 236 00:14:35,610 --> 00:14:38,100 Cate Blanchett: one open with Ted Chapman and Isabel Negri in the 237 00:14:38,100 --> 00:14:42,600 Cate Blanchett: previous episode. It's basically the heart of a seed. It's 238 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,630 Cate Blanchett: the part that will grow into a new plant, which 239 00:14:45,630 --> 00:14:48,690 Cate Blanchett: is why Louise and her team focus on preserving it 240 00:14:48,690 --> 00:14:53,070 Cate Blanchett: so carefully, but it comes with its own challenges. You 241 00:14:53,070 --> 00:14:56,880 Cate Blanchett: can't just germinate these cryo- preserved seeds like you would 242 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,830 Cate Blanchett: a regular seed. They need in vitro techniques, essentially coaxing 243 00:15:01,890 --> 00:15:05,010 Cate Blanchett: the seed to grow from scratch in a Petri dish. 244 00:15:05,970 --> 00:15:08,160 Louise Colville: That is very complicated, and I think one of the 245 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,800 Louise Colville: challenges as well is that if we can regenerate after 246 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,560 Louise Colville: cryo using in vitro techniques, it's then moving on from 247 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:16,170 Louise Colville: that to be able to take those plants into the 248 00:15:16,170 --> 00:15:19,530 Louise Colville: nursery, because obviously they've become quite used to their nice 249 00:15:19,530 --> 00:15:22,320 Louise Colville: protected conditions, and then to go out where they're exposed 250 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,150 Louise Colville: to further stress is a big step for them. 251 00:15:24,630 --> 00:15:27,150 Cate Blanchett: Louise and her team are still in the research phase, 252 00:15:27,270 --> 00:15:30,360 Cate Blanchett: working out how different species respond to this type of 253 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:35,640 Cate Blanchett: preservation. It's crucial that they get it right, because each 254 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:40,380 Cate Blanchett: seed is different, and some very important seeds rely on 255 00:15:40,380 --> 00:15:42,720 Cate Blanchett: this specific method to remain viable. 256 00:15:42,990 --> 00:15:46,890 Louise Colville: Although only around 10% of the world's seed- bearing plants produce 257 00:15:46,890 --> 00:15:50,790 Louise Colville: recalcitrant seeds. In some regions such as tropical rainforests, around 258 00:15:50,790 --> 00:15:54,690 Louise Colville: 50% of tree species will produce recalcitrant seeds, and most 259 00:15:54,690 --> 00:15:57,360 Louise Colville: of those species will also be under greater threat of 260 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,750 Louise Colville: extinction. So, I think there's a real pressure here that 261 00:16:00,750 --> 00:16:04,230 Louise Colville: we should be conserving not just orthodox seeds that we 262 00:16:04,230 --> 00:16:07,410 Louise Colville: can conserve quite easily, but also looking at addressing the 263 00:16:07,410 --> 00:16:10,620 Louise Colville: challenges of conserving these more difficult to preserve species. Most 264 00:16:10,620 --> 00:16:13,110 Louise Colville: of our work so far has been on UK trees, 265 00:16:13,590 --> 00:16:17,160 Louise Colville: and actually oaks. So quercus robur, the English oak, is 266 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,430 Louise Colville: quite difficult to cryopreserve and we're not really sure why. 267 00:16:20,430 --> 00:16:22,470 Louise Colville: We think part of it is down to the chemistry 268 00:16:22,590 --> 00:16:25,380 Louise Colville: of the seed. So, as soon as we remove the embryonic acid 269 00:16:25,380 --> 00:16:28,290 Louise Colville: it's starting to oxidize. As you watch, you can see 270 00:16:28,290 --> 00:16:30,630 Louise Colville: them start to brown. So, it's at that point where 271 00:16:30,630 --> 00:16:33,600 Louise Colville: the challenge starts, so we need to use antioxidants to 272 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,020 Louise Colville: help prevent that browning before we can then move into 273 00:16:37,020 --> 00:16:40,830 Louise Colville: our cryopreservation process. But even then, even if you have 274 00:16:40,830 --> 00:16:45,930 Louise Colville: a successful protocol, survival might only be 40% after cryopreservation, 275 00:16:46,020 --> 00:16:47,370 Louise Colville: and that would be considered quite good. 276 00:16:47,910 --> 00:16:51,720 Cate Blanchett: The team anticipate that cryo- preserved seeds will endure far 277 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,410 Cate Blanchett: longer than those in conventional seed bank storage, though the long- 278 00:16:55,410 --> 00:16:59,940 Cate Blanchett: term data isn't in yet. Still, this approach could offer 279 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,360 Cate Blanchett: a lifeline for plants that don't produce seeds at all. 280 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:07,409 Louise Colville: So, cryopreservation is not just for seeds, but it's also an 281 00:17:07,410 --> 00:17:10,050 Louise Colville: approach that can be used for the conservation of a 282 00:17:10,050 --> 00:17:13,889 Louise Colville: much wider range of plants, mosses and ferns, seaweeds, for 283 00:17:13,890 --> 00:17:17,490 Louise Colville: example. These don't produce seeds, but they instead reproduce via 284 00:17:17,490 --> 00:17:21,180 Louise Colville: spores. Over half of the UK native species do not 285 00:17:21,180 --> 00:17:24,960 Louise Colville: produce seeds. So, by using cryopreservation we can really scale 286 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,379 Louise Colville: up the diversity of the British flora that we can conserve. 287 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:34,380 Cate Blanchett: Cryopreservation gives us a way to protect a huge variety 288 00:17:34,380 --> 00:17:38,369 Cate Blanchett: of plant life, and Louise's research is a prime example 289 00:17:38,369 --> 00:17:41,550 Cate Blanchett: of the innovation happening at the MSB. But of course, 290 00:17:41,550 --> 00:17:45,149 Cate Blanchett: preservation and conservation aren't confined to the UK. Around the 291 00:17:45,150 --> 00:17:48,900 Cate Blanchett: world, MSB partners are working to safeguard their own local 292 00:17:48,900 --> 00:17:53,940 Cate Blanchett: ecosystems. Cutting edge science and on the- ground action go 293 00:17:53,940 --> 00:17:54,720 Cate Blanchett: hand in hand. 294 00:17:55,740 --> 00:18:00,690 James Amponsah: My name is James Amponsah, I'm working with the Forestry 295 00:18:00,780 --> 00:18:04,950 James Amponsah: Research Institute of Ghana, and specifically that institute has a 296 00:18:04,950 --> 00:18:09,060 James Amponsah: national seed bank called the National Tree Seed Center. I'm 297 00:18:09,060 --> 00:18:14,550 James Amponsah: in charge of managing seed conservation, especially with forest seeds 298 00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:19,980 James Amponsah: in Ghana. So, we are expected to supervise and undertake 299 00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:22,290 James Amponsah: seed collections across the country. 300 00:18:22,530 --> 00:18:26,400 Cate Blanchett: As a partner of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the Forestry 301 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:31,260 Cate Blanchett: Research Institute of Ghana has collaborated on joint research projects 302 00:18:31,260 --> 00:18:35,970 Cate Blanchett: and contributed seeds to the MSB. But back home, their 303 00:18:36,060 --> 00:18:40,950 Cate Blanchett: National Tree Seed Center is also actively involved in restoring 304 00:18:40,950 --> 00:18:45,840 Cate Blanchett: land across Ghana, including rehabilitating former mine sites. 305 00:18:46,109 --> 00:18:49,950 James Amponsah: Ghana is currently facing a lot of problems with small 306 00:18:49,950 --> 00:18:53,550 James Amponsah: scale illegal mining, polluting water bodies and degrading our forest 307 00:18:53,550 --> 00:18:57,720 James Amponsah: resources. And so, we have been involved in selecting species 308 00:18:58,020 --> 00:19:00,510 James Amponsah: and making sure that we have the right framework species 309 00:19:00,510 --> 00:19:04,290 James Amponsah: for restoring these degraded forests back to their natural states. 310 00:19:04,590 --> 00:19:07,500 Cate Blanchett: James is part of the very first cohort to take 311 00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:11,340 Cate Blanchett: part in the new trainer certification scheme. And just like Meg 312 00:19:11,340 --> 00:19:15,629 Cate Blanchett: says, he's bringing those skills back home to help others 313 00:19:15,690 --> 00:19:17,550 Cate Blanchett: and make a real difference on the ground. 314 00:19:17,910 --> 00:19:22,139 James Amponsah: This certification program for me is taking our partnership to 315 00:19:22,140 --> 00:19:26,970 James Amponsah: another level. It's really going to help contribute to our 316 00:19:26,970 --> 00:19:30,930 James Amponsah: seed bank's ability to train others. So, I think it's 317 00:19:30,930 --> 00:19:34,260 James Amponsah: very important. This training is really beneficial for us as 318 00:19:34,260 --> 00:19:37,710 James Amponsah: participant. We have come in thinking that it's going to 319 00:19:37,710 --> 00:19:42,869 James Amponsah: be more of training on the standards, but in going 320 00:19:42,869 --> 00:19:46,020 James Amponsah: beyond that we are now being trained with how to 321 00:19:46,020 --> 00:19:51,330 James Amponsah: deliver high quality training, how to engage with our participants, 322 00:19:51,660 --> 00:19:54,570 James Amponsah: how to make our training back home more impactful. 323 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,410 Cate Blanchett: For James and for everyone he trains back in Ghana, 324 00:19:58,980 --> 00:20:02,520 Cate Blanchett: tapping into local knowledge is just as important as any 325 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:03,510 Cate Blanchett: lab experiment. 326 00:20:03,780 --> 00:20:07,470 James Amponsah: When we use local knowledge in seed conservation, it's really 327 00:20:07,470 --> 00:20:11,730 James Amponsah: helpful. Sometimes local people know best where we could find 328 00:20:12,330 --> 00:20:15,899 James Amponsah: best sources for seed collection. They may even have traditional 329 00:20:15,900 --> 00:20:19,679 James Amponsah: ways of pre- treating their seeds for better germination. And so, 330 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,230 James Amponsah: when you ignore that you will be losing out actually 331 00:20:22,230 --> 00:20:25,350 James Amponsah: as a research scientist. And so, local knowledge is very 332 00:20:25,350 --> 00:20:29,580 James Amponsah: critical for seed conservation at all levels. The work of the 333 00:20:29,580 --> 00:20:36,150 James Amponsah: MSP is really enhancing biodiversity conservation. With climate change and 334 00:20:36,150 --> 00:20:40,139 James Amponsah: with biodiversity losses on the rise, working hard to conserve 335 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:45,300 James Amponsah: seeds is actually helping us to safeguard our plant biodiversity. It is 336 00:20:45,450 --> 00:20:50,159 James Amponsah: also a way of ensuring that seed banks across the 337 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,669 James Amponsah: world will get to know of improved standards to help 338 00:20:53,670 --> 00:20:57,180 James Amponsah: us benefit nature and people in the end. And this 339 00:20:57,180 --> 00:21:00,270 James Amponsah: for me is great. It's really a way of empowering 340 00:21:00,330 --> 00:21:03,869 James Amponsah: us to deliver our best in terms of seed conservation 341 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,450 James Amponsah: across our country, and even across Africa. 342 00:21:07,290 --> 00:21:11,220 Cate Blanchett: Insightful words from James, and another reminder of how seed 343 00:21:11,220 --> 00:21:16,470 Cate Blanchett: banking really is a global effort. But back here in 344 00:21:16,470 --> 00:21:20,760 Cate Blanchett: the labs, researchers Anne and Louise are tackling a different type 345 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:25,649 Cate Blanchett: of challenge, cracking the secrets of seed dormancy. Their work 346 00:21:25,650 --> 00:21:29,369 Cate Blanchett: centers around what makes a seed stay asleep and what 347 00:21:29,369 --> 00:21:35,130 Cate Blanchett: wakes it up or start to germinate. Imagine a seed 348 00:21:35,250 --> 00:21:38,909 Cate Blanchett: in autumn. It survives the winter lying in the soil 349 00:21:39,060 --> 00:21:44,070 Cate Blanchett: until bursting into life and spring. Now, sometimes that awakening 350 00:21:44,310 --> 00:21:48,600 Cate Blanchett: depends on a nudge from the environment, a physical cue 351 00:21:48,810 --> 00:21:50,760 Cate Blanchett: to tell it the time is right. 352 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:57,540 Anne Visscher: It can be through wetting and drying, and over time this 353 00:21:57,540 --> 00:22:01,350 Anne Visscher: creates small cracks. It can also be by passage through 354 00:22:01,350 --> 00:22:06,540 Anne Visscher: animals, by the seeds being eaten. It can also happen 355 00:22:06,660 --> 00:22:11,669 Anne Visscher: through temperature fluctuations, again, causing small morphological changes and then 356 00:22:11,670 --> 00:22:15,900 Anne Visscher: eventually cracks. Or it can be a molecular reason where 357 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,750 Anne Visscher: there are certain hormones that are really high at that 358 00:22:18,750 --> 00:22:22,260 Anne Visscher: time that stop other processes from happening so that the 359 00:22:22,260 --> 00:22:26,400 Anne Visscher: whole germination growth process doesn't start. Temperature is a well- 360 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:30,630 Anne Visscher: known trigger, for example in these temperate climates that we're 361 00:22:30,630 --> 00:22:35,460 Anne Visscher: living in here in the UK, so some seeds are dispersed 362 00:22:35,460 --> 00:22:38,939 Anne Visscher: in the autumn but they won't germinate during the winter, 363 00:22:39,570 --> 00:22:42,600 Anne Visscher: and it's often because of their dormancy. And what happens 364 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,800 Anne Visscher: is that after a certain number of cold hours that 365 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:50,640 Anne Visscher: they experience, they are then ready to germinate under the 366 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:51,840 Anne Visscher: spring conditions. 367 00:22:52,590 --> 00:22:57,119 Cate Blanchett: But with climate change altering weather patterns, many seeds aren't 368 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:01,590 Cate Blanchett: reaching the temperatures they need to break dormancy. That's where 369 00:23:01,590 --> 00:23:05,640 Cate Blanchett: Louise's team is turning to an unexpected solution. 370 00:23:06,390 --> 00:23:10,379 Louise Colville: Plasma is the fourth state of matter. So we have 371 00:23:10,410 --> 00:23:14,430 Louise Colville: solid, liquids, gases and plasma. It's actually the most abundant 372 00:23:14,490 --> 00:23:17,760 Louise Colville: state of matter in the universe. Plasma consists of highly 373 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:23,700 Louise Colville: reactive molecules and ions. It's produced by either heating or 374 00:23:23,850 --> 00:23:28,290 Louise Colville: applying an electric charge to a gas. So, plasma's very abundant 375 00:23:28,290 --> 00:23:32,430 Louise Colville: in stars, for example. On earth, when lightning strikes, that 376 00:23:32,430 --> 00:23:33,330 Louise Colville: generates plasma. 377 00:23:33,750 --> 00:23:37,200 Cate Blanchett: Yeah, plasma. It's the same stuff that makes your TV 378 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,600 Cate Blanchett: glow, only a bit more alive. 379 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:44,340 Louise Colville: Plasma consists of these reactive molecules. We know that these 380 00:23:44,340 --> 00:23:48,449 Louise Colville: interact with the molecular pathways which control seed dormancy and 381 00:23:48,450 --> 00:23:52,350 Louise Colville: germination. We're interested in whether plasma could be used to 382 00:23:52,380 --> 00:23:54,330 Louise Colville: treat seeds and break dormancy. 383 00:23:54,750 --> 00:23:59,970 Cate Blanchett: Tree species often belong to the long dormancy club. Many 384 00:23:59,970 --> 00:24:03,600 Cate Blanchett: species need months of cold before they're ready to germinate. 385 00:24:04,050 --> 00:24:06,600 Louise Colville: We were interested in whether we could use plasma treatments 386 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,859 Louise Colville: to accelerate the process of dormancy break, perhaps shorten the 387 00:24:10,980 --> 00:24:14,460 Louise Colville: requirement for the cold treatment or maybe eliminating it altogether. 388 00:24:15,180 --> 00:24:18,300 Louise Colville: We were working with Hazel, Rowan, and Beech, so those 389 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:22,080 Louise Colville: seeds all require long periods of cold stratification to germinate. 390 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,380 Louise Colville: And then we also used free shallow dormant species, which 391 00:24:25,380 --> 00:24:29,969 Louise Colville: was Scots pine, downy birch, and common alder. And so, 392 00:24:29,970 --> 00:24:32,609 Louise Colville: they require just a short period of cold stratification. 393 00:24:32,940 --> 00:24:36,990 Cate Blanchett: The team applied two different styles of plasma treatments, the 394 00:24:36,990 --> 00:24:38,609 Cate Blanchett: first is very direct. 395 00:24:38,850 --> 00:24:40,740 Louise Colville: The seeds are put on a conveyor belt and they're 396 00:24:40,740 --> 00:24:44,460 Louise Colville: passed underneath a plasma generator, and you can see little 397 00:24:44,460 --> 00:24:48,540 Louise Colville: purple lightning strikes of plasma discharges connecting with the seed. 398 00:24:48,930 --> 00:24:52,830 Cate Blanchett: And the second is indirect, using air and water. 399 00:24:52,980 --> 00:24:56,730 Louise Colville: So, we treated air with plasma and then exposed the 400 00:24:56,730 --> 00:24:59,159 Louise Colville: seeds to that plasma treated air, and we did the 401 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,040 Louise Colville: same with water. So, we plasma treated water and then 402 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,740 Louise Colville: soaked the seeds in that plasma treated water. And what 403 00:25:04,740 --> 00:25:07,800 Louise Colville: we found is that for three of the species, for 404 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,490 Louise Colville: Rowan, Hazel, and downy birch, we found that the plasma 405 00:25:11,490 --> 00:25:16,020 Louise Colville: treated air was effective at breaking dormancy. It improved the 406 00:25:16,020 --> 00:25:19,590 Louise Colville: germination in combination with a cold treatment compared to not 407 00:25:19,590 --> 00:25:20,609 Louise Colville: having the plasma treatment. 408 00:25:21,150 --> 00:25:24,210 Cate Blanchett: Now, the team didn't see this coming, and they suspect 409 00:25:24,690 --> 00:25:27,090 Cate Blanchett: it might have something to do with how the plasma 410 00:25:27,090 --> 00:25:29,640 Cate Blanchett: interacts with the plant's own hormones. 411 00:25:29,970 --> 00:25:32,010 Louise Colville: So what we're thinking, and we still need to work 412 00:25:32,010 --> 00:25:34,830 Louise Colville: further on this, is that the plasma- treated air treatment 413 00:25:34,830 --> 00:25:39,780 Louise Colville: in particular is interacting with the molecular pathways controlling dormancy. 414 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:42,930 Louise Colville: So, dormancy is particularly controlled by the balance of two 415 00:25:42,930 --> 00:25:46,200 Louise Colville: hormones, and we think that the plasma is interacting with 416 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,600 Louise Colville: the molecular pathways which are controlling the balance of the 417 00:25:48,630 --> 00:25:51,030 Louise Colville: plant hormones to help to break dormancy. 418 00:25:51,540 --> 00:25:54,540 Cate Blanchett: Now, it might sound a bit like science fiction, but 419 00:25:54,540 --> 00:25:57,600 Cate Blanchett: this treatment could have real world impact. 420 00:25:57,690 --> 00:26:00,330 Louise Colville: The reason that we started working on it is that 421 00:26:00,390 --> 00:26:02,790 Louise Colville: the UK government has tree planting targets, and in order 422 00:26:02,790 --> 00:26:05,250 Louise Colville: to meet those targets we need to scale up tree 423 00:26:05,250 --> 00:26:08,100 Louise Colville: production in nurseries. But one of the key barriers to 424 00:26:08,100 --> 00:26:12,510 Louise Colville: that is germination. So, dormancy represents a block to basically 425 00:26:12,540 --> 00:26:16,020 Louise Colville: scaling up nursery production of trees, and the reason we 426 00:26:16,020 --> 00:26:19,080 Louise Colville: chose plasma treatments is because you can treat lots of 427 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:20,160 Louise Colville: seeds at once. 428 00:26:20,609 --> 00:26:25,530 Cate Blanchett: Innovations like plasma treatments show just how science can tackle 429 00:26:25,530 --> 00:26:29,250 Cate Blanchett: real world challenges, and the work being done in the 430 00:26:29,250 --> 00:26:34,439 Cate Blanchett: cryogenic space and even in space itself all feels pretty 431 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,220 Cate Blanchett: futuristic. But I guess 25 years ago the idea of 432 00:26:38,220 --> 00:26:42,570 Cate Blanchett: the Millennium Seed Bank in itself was futuristic. We heard 433 00:26:42,570 --> 00:26:45,540 Cate Blanchett: from Roger Smith in the first episode, how the initial 434 00:26:45,540 --> 00:26:48,210 Cate Blanchett: idea for the seed bank was seen as being a 435 00:26:48,210 --> 00:26:52,230 Cate Blanchett: little radical or out there. However, the ambition was also 436 00:26:52,230 --> 00:26:56,700 Cate Blanchett: huge, to build something that would last for 30 generations, 437 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:01,439 Cate Blanchett: a whole other millennium. So in that respect, the MSB 438 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:06,359 Cate Blanchett: is really only just getting started. From cutting edge labs 439 00:27:06,450 --> 00:27:10,080 Cate Blanchett: to the people protecting their ecosystems across the world, the 440 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:12,780 Cate Blanchett: seed bank is a reminder that the future of plant 441 00:27:12,780 --> 00:27:17,400 Cate Blanchett: conservation is being written right now. It's a story that 442 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,880 Cate Blanchett: is still unfolding and one that is full of passionate 443 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,300 Cate Blanchett: people, pushing boundaries of what is possible in a united 444 00:27:24,300 --> 00:27:27,300 Cate Blanchett: mission to protect the future of our planet. 445 00:27:28,500 --> 00:27:31,260 Speaker 7: The threats that we're facing are global and they are 446 00:27:31,260 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 7: large, and there is so much more to be done 447 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,149 Speaker 7: that we really need to scale our work. There's been a 448 00:27:36,150 --> 00:27:39,390 Speaker 7: lot of technological advances since we started 25 years ago, 449 00:27:39,390 --> 00:27:41,550 Speaker 7: and we need to be embracing some of those and 450 00:27:41,940 --> 00:27:44,850 Speaker 7: bringing them into the ways that we're working. The work 451 00:27:44,850 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 7: that happens in this seed bank is literally saving plants 452 00:27:48,510 --> 00:27:51,510 Speaker 7: and stopping us losing them. So, to me there can't 453 00:27:51,510 --> 00:27:53,070 Speaker 7: be any better reason to get out better than that. 454 00:27:53,730 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 8: I love plants, they're our drugs, they're our food, they 455 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:01,050 Speaker 8: are lots of people's livelihoods, and they're under so much 456 00:28:01,050 --> 00:28:06,300 Speaker 8: threat from land loss and climate change. We need to 457 00:28:06,330 --> 00:28:09,300 Speaker 8: save these seeds, we need to keep them alive, we 458 00:28:09,300 --> 00:28:12,330 Speaker 8: need to turn them into plants. I feel like it's 459 00:28:12,330 --> 00:28:15,690 Speaker 8: such a privilege to be able to help a little 460 00:28:15,690 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 8: bit towards that, and I'm really proud to work here. 461 00:28:19,470 --> 00:28:22,500 Anne Visscher: Working at the Millennium Seed Bank allows me to make 462 00:28:22,500 --> 00:28:28,020 Anne Visscher: a more active and creative contribution to stopping biodiversity loss. 463 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:32,820 Anne Visscher: Nowhere else on earth do we have access to 40,000 464 00:28:32,820 --> 00:28:37,950 Anne Visscher: wild plant species to ask questions about which species are 465 00:28:37,950 --> 00:28:43,500 Anne Visscher: good for restoration and reforestation, and then even beyond the 466 00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:43,501 Anne Visscher: earth. 467 00:28:43,501 --> 00:28:50,250 Speaker 9: The MSB is like a treasure in the future for everyone. 468 00:28:50,250 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 10: We all come from different cultures, different countries, but we're 469 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,890 Speaker 10: all striving for the same goal, whether it's conserving biodiversity, 470 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 10: ending the extinction crisis, ensuring food security in the future, 471 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:05,550 Speaker 10: and that's what I find is very rewarding. 472 00:29:06,900 --> 00:29:10,710 Louise Colville: The MSB is the only global program of its type, and it's not 473 00:29:10,710 --> 00:29:13,860 Louise Colville: just about the collections that we've acquired over the last 474 00:29:13,860 --> 00:29:16,080 Louise Colville: 25 years and the partnerships we've made, but it's also 475 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,020 Louise Colville: about the knowledge that we've generated as well, whether it's in 476 00:29:19,020 --> 00:29:22,410 Louise Colville: restoration or conservation. We're hopeful for the future and that 477 00:29:22,410 --> 00:29:23,430 Louise Colville: what we're doing is good. 478 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,290 Speaker 11: I think when you work in conservation, it can sometimes 479 00:29:28,290 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 11: be hard to feel like you're having an impact, but 480 00:29:30,300 --> 00:29:34,020 Speaker 11: a seed bank, to take seed from the wild, store 481 00:29:34,020 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 11: it, keep it safe, study it, understand it, and then 482 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,190 Speaker 11: reintroduce it, it's really just a tangible thing that we 483 00:29:41,190 --> 00:29:44,340 Speaker 11: can do to support plant conservation, and that makes it 484 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 11: very satisfying and meaningful to me. 485 00:29:47,940 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 12: When I think of the Millennium Seed Bank, I think the 486 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 12: strength is there's so many people working together and connecting, 487 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,220 Speaker 12: collaborating, and that's what allows us to be so strong, 488 00:29:59,310 --> 00:30:03,540 Speaker 12: even in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. 489 00:30:03,900 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 11: Always talk about options for the future, and that's really 490 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 11: what it feels like. It's a hopeful, optimistic approach to 491 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:10,229 Speaker 11: conservation, I think. 492 00:30:11,550 --> 00:30:17,220 Speaker 13: I'm proudest of the fact that a strange ragbag of 493 00:30:17,220 --> 00:30:22,470 Speaker 13: individuals, in which I include myself quite happily, should come 494 00:30:22,470 --> 00:30:27,090 Speaker 13: together and do something that had global significance. 495 00:30:30,030 --> 00:30:33,270 Cate Blanchett: Often we think of us as humans as being part 496 00:30:33,270 --> 00:30:37,470 Cate Blanchett: of the destruction of nature. But here at Wakehurst we're 497 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:41,880 Cate Blanchett: poignantly reminded of our part, and what a responsible and 498 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,000 Cate Blanchett: exciting and positive part we can play in the regeneration 499 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,450 Cate Blanchett: of nature. And every single person I spoke to, you 500 00:30:48,450 --> 00:30:52,110 Cate Blanchett: can tell from their engagement in the natural world and 501 00:30:52,110 --> 00:30:55,860 Cate Blanchett: in the collection of seeds, how positive they are about 502 00:30:55,860 --> 00:30:59,460 Cate Blanchett: the outlook that the natural world has. And they feel 503 00:30:59,460 --> 00:31:03,210 Cate Blanchett: a really strong responsibility of playing their role within that, 504 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:07,170 Cate Blanchett: which was really inspiring to hear. I've always known that 505 00:31:07,170 --> 00:31:10,140 Cate Blanchett: the seed bank is an important place, and the work 506 00:31:10,140 --> 00:31:14,250 Cate Blanchett: that goes on here is deep time and meticulous, but 507 00:31:14,250 --> 00:31:17,730 Cate Blanchett: to be out in the field with Ted and Isabel, 508 00:31:17,730 --> 00:31:22,380 Cate Blanchett: and watch the process from the beginning right through the 509 00:31:22,380 --> 00:31:27,840 Cate Blanchett: process of sorting, and cleaning, and collection, and freezing, it 510 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:31,020 Cate Blanchett: reminds me how hopeful one can be, that the work 511 00:31:31,020 --> 00:31:34,440 Cate Blanchett: is actually happening and that it's happening not only here 512 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,990 Cate Blanchett: in this country but around the world, and the hub 513 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,710 Cate Blanchett: of that work is Wakehurst. And I just think everyone 514 00:31:40,710 --> 00:31:42,959 Cate Blanchett: needs to come here, and look in the windows and 515 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,600 Cate Blanchett: see that that work is being done, because what it 516 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,480 Cate Blanchett: leaves me with is wanting to go back out and 517 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:52,170 Cate Blanchett: grow a beautiful garden and be thankful for what we 518 00:31:52,170 --> 00:31:55,590 Cate Blanchett: all have, and help in our own small way outside 519 00:31:55,590 --> 00:32:00,360 Cate Blanchett: of these grounds to help preserve and protect it. Often 520 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:02,850 Cate Blanchett: we think, " Well, it's all over. There's nothing we can 521 00:32:02,850 --> 00:32:06,000 Cate Blanchett: do." But it starts with a seed, and often that seed 522 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,550 Cate Blanchett: is infinitesimal and then it will grow into a beautiful 523 00:32:08,550 --> 00:32:13,320 Cate Blanchett: orchid, or a massive redwood, or a Wollemi. Just walking 524 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,980 Cate Blanchett: through the garden you're reminded of the role that science 525 00:32:16,980 --> 00:32:19,740 Cate Blanchett: can play in the restoration of things that are natural. 526 00:32:19,740 --> 00:32:34,620 Cate Blanchett: They're not antithetical, they're inextricably linked. A huge, huge thank 527 00:32:34,620 --> 00:32:37,530 Cate Blanchett: you to everyone who has participated in this story, and 528 00:32:37,530 --> 00:32:41,490 Cate Blanchett: everyone I've spoken to, the scientists, seed collectors, students, and 529 00:32:41,490 --> 00:32:46,770 Cate Blanchett: local communities whose dedication has made this series possible. Every 530 00:32:46,770 --> 00:32:51,570 Cate Blanchett: seed collected, every experiment tested, every partnership built is a 531 00:32:51,570 --> 00:32:57,030 Cate Blanchett: step towards regenerating nature and protecting biodiversity for generations to 532 00:32:57,030 --> 00:33:00,420 Cate Blanchett: come. And you can be part of it too. By 533 00:33:00,420 --> 00:33:04,590 Cate Blanchett: supporting Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, you're helping protect the seeds of 534 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:09,420 Cate Blanchett: our planet and the future they promise. Together, we can 535 00:33:09,420 --> 00:33:14,130 Cate Blanchett: grow a world where nature not only survives, but thrives. 536 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:18,690 Cate Blanchett: As we said at the start, life begins with seeds, 537 00:33:19,260 --> 00:33:23,850 Cate Blanchett: and so does our best chance to save it. I'm 538 00:33:23,850 --> 00:33:27,930 Cate Blanchett: Cate Blanchett, Kew's ambassador for Wakehurst, and this has been 539 00:33:27,930 --> 00:33:32,190 Cate Blanchett: Unearthed: The Need for Seeds. Thanks for listening.