In alignment with the directives of H.E. Mr. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Adel Abdel Azim, President of the Agricultural Research Center, the National Gene Bank of Egypt (NGB) welcomed a delegation from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The visit aimed to strengthen international cooperation in the field of plant breeding and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
(NGB) welcomed students from the Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University—specifically from the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture—for an educational visit to learn about the bank’s diverse activities and its vital role in preserving plant and genetic resources, as well as maintaining the high quality of cultivated plant varieties in Egypt.
As part of the directives of Mr. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, to restructure the Animal Breed Registration and Improvement Committee, Dr. Adel Abdel Azim, President of the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), chaired the committee’s second meeting to discuss key topics related to the development and enhancement of Egypt’s animal genetic resources.
The meeting was attended by:
Dr. Sherine Assem, Deputy President of ARC
Dr. Mona Mehrez, Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture
Dr. Tarek Soliman, Head of the Animal and Poultry Wealth Development Sector
Dr. Mohamed El-Shafie, Director of the Animal Production Research Institute and Committee Rapporteur
Directors of the Animal Wealth Institutes, the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute, the National Gene Bank, and the Regional Center for Food and Feed
Several prominent experts, including:
Prof. Dr. Maher Hasab El-Naby
Prof. Dr. Adel Abu El-Naga
Prof. Dr. Abdel Rashid Ghanem, Director of the National Milk Collection Centers Project
Dr. Adel Abdel Azim, President of the Agricultural Research Center (ARC) and Chair of the Animal Breed Registration Committee, held the committee’s first preparatory meeting. The meeting was attended by several distinguished experts and leaders, including:
Dr. Maher El-Maghraby, Vice President of ARC for Production
Dr. Mona Mehrez, Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Animal Wealth
Dr. Tarek Soliman, Head of the Animal Wealth Sector
Dr. Mohamed El-Shafie, Director of the Animal Production Research Institute and Committee Rapporteur
Dr. Mohamed Saad, Director of the Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute
Dr. Mostafa Fadel, Director of Animal Reproduction Research
Dr. Gehan Hosny, Director of the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute
Dr. Nevine Abdel Fattah, Director of the National Gene Bank
Dr. Mohamed El-Sherbiny, Director of the Regional Center for Food and Feed
Dr. Farid Istino, Professor of Poultry Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University
Dr. Essam Omar, Chief Researcher at the Animal Production Research Institute and genetic resources expert
The hidden world of microbes and their role in sustainable farming
When people think of gene banks, they often picture seed storage, but did you know that microorganisms are just as important? At NGB’s Microbiology Lab, researchers are collecting and studying bacteria, fungi, and algae that play crucial roles in soil health, disease control, and crop productivity.
Imagine a time capsule filled with seeds that might not be needed for 100 years or more. That’s exactly what happens at the Seed Viability Lab in NGB, where plant genetic material is stored at temperatures as low as -20°C to ensure long-term preservation.
How genetic conservation is rewriting the story of lost biodiversity
Have you ever wondered if ancient Egyptian crops that once thrived along the Nile could be brought back? The answer lies in the work of gene banks like NGB, where thousands of seeds from traditional and endangered varieties are preserved.
Preserving the past to secure the future of agriculture
Egypt is home to a rich diversity of plant, animal, and microbial genetic resources that have sustained agriculture for centuries. But with modern challenges like climate change and habitat loss, how do we ensure their survival?
