Editing Germplasm (section)

== Conservation efforts ==
About 10,000 years ago is when humans began to domesticate plant species for the purpose of food, seeds, and vegetation. <ref name=":0" /> Since then, agriculture has been a staple for human civilizations and plant breeding has allowed more [[genetic diversity]] and a more diverse gene pool.<ref name=":0" />  Germplasm resources allow for more genetic assets to be used and integrated for agricultural systems for [[plant breeding]] and bringing about new varieties. In addition, researchers are looking at crop wild relatives (CWRs) that could expand gene pools of crop species and provide more ability to select target traits.

Furthermore, we are currently facing a [[Biodiversity loss|biodiversity crisis]] event that is caused by human activities and industrialization. Many plants and animals have gone extinct due to losing their habitat, their habitat being degraded with contaminants, and [[climate change]]. Germplasm resources are a way to conserve the pre-existing biological diversity and to possibly regenerate habitats. By storing this genetic information there is data about what species are present including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi and what a complete ecosystem in specific areas look like.