The collection holds several hundred thousand tissue samples and DNA extracts, predominantly of vascular plants and birds but with growing collections also of lichens, fungi, invertebrates and other taxa. Samples are preserved and stored in a DNA-friendly way, for the purpose of a wide spectrum of modern molecular analyses. This includes DNA barcoding, an international initiative to which NHM is an active contributor
It is a goal for the DNA Bank to cover all Norwegian taxa of vascular plants and vertebrates, and as many taxa as possible of other groups, with an emphasis on rare, threatened or otherwise particularly valuable species.
The NHMO DNA Bank is committed to the letter and spirit of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including the Nagoya Protocol, and operates in compliance with the CETAF and GGBN codes of conduct.
To find out more about the DNA Bank and its services, please see the About page or follow the links to the left.
Scientific curator: Professor Arild Johnsen
Scientific curator, botany: Professor Christian Brochmann
Technical curator: Dr. Lars Erik Johannessen