Office of University Communications 

'Doomsday' vault a modern day Noah's Ark for world's crops

Hot Topic - Expert Source

Date: February 4, 2008
Contact: Dr. Inno Onwueme
(417) 836-5249

The vault, called a “doomsday” vault by some, is a secure facility built into the side of a mountain that will protect the seeds in case of a global catastrophe, like nuclear war. But according to Dr. Inno Onwueme, an expert on global agriculture andMissouri State University’sassociate dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, the world may not have to wait until doomsday to reap the benefits of such a facility.

“Even though the press calls it a ‘doomsday’ vault, it can be accessible on a regular basis,” Onwueme said. “It is part of an ongoing pursuit of collecting the world’s crop gene pool. Take the metaphor of a fallout shelter. A fallout shelter was meant to be used in case of nuclear war. But if you have a hurricane, people hide in the fallout shelter. Even though it was built for a nuclear war, it has a continuous purpose.”

For example, in the event of a disease sweeping through a particular crop, it may be possible to breed resistance into that crop through the use of preserved seeds. This is an example of the impact gene banks like the vault can have in gradually changing conditions.

According to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which partnered with Norway in the construction of the vault, the vault will play a vital role in maintaining viable crops during the climate change brought on by global warming.

The location of the vault is ideal, Onwueme said. Naturally cold, the vault requires little refrigeration and avoids problems that face other gene banks.

“Cold and dryness can keep seeds almost indefinitely,” Onwueme said. “Most national seed banks cannot do this because of energy requirements for refrigeration – huge amounts on a daily basis. Even in Canada, you would need a lot of energy. Also, the more mechanical devices you use, the more chance of a breakdown.”

While gene banks are not a new idea, the Svalbard vault, which is scheduled to be officially opened by Feb. 26, constitutes a larger effort than other gene banks throughout the world. Onwueme said this effort will allow the vault to play a role in solving future problems by acting as a rehabilitative tool or by improving existing varieties of crops. This could be a solution to global catastrophes or crop failures on the community level.

“It could be a global ‘doomsday’ vault,” Onwueme said. “But it could serve for localized doomsdays as well.”