The National Biodiversity Centre (NBC) takes this opportunity to acknowledge the successful completion of the two-year volunteer assignment of Mr. Kazuki Yanagida, a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteer specializing in plant conservation biotechnology and tissue culture.
Mr. Yanagida joined NBC in 2024 and served with the Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) program, where he contributed to the conservation of clonally propagated crops (Potato, Garlic and Onion) through in vitro or tissue culture. His responsibilities included maintaining the in vitro laboratory, installing new equipment, and strengthening the center’s plant tissue culture infrastructure and research capacity.
On the final day of his assignment, Mr. Yanagida delivered a presentation reflecting on his experiences and the lessons learned over the two years. Among his principal accomplishments was the successful acclimatization of in vitro potato plantlets to ex vitro conditions, with approximately 80% of the plantlets surviving the transition and subsequently being transferred to the glasshouse.
Beyond his technical contributions, Mr. Yanagida actively took part in outreach and capacity-building activities organized by NBC and its partners. These included workshops in Tsirang, the Biodiversity Fair in Trashigang, and training on DNA extraction.
The Centre extends its sincere appreciation to Mr. Yanagida for his valuable technical contributions, knowledge sharing, and dedication in building plant biotechnology and tissue culture research capacity in Bhutan.
NBC wishes him every success in his future endeavors.
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