Abstract
Genetic and biological resources are directly or indirectly used in major industries, conservation and improvement of the environment, and as important tools for the promotion of life science research. The NIAS GeneBank coordinates the exploration, collection and evaluation of genetic resources, preservation and management of cultivars and lines for breeding researches, and the distribution to users both within and outside Japan. Furthermore, the NIAS also provides access to a wide range of biological materials generated from various projects on rice genome analysis such as rice ESTs, rice full-length cDNA clones, Tos17 insertion mutant lines and genetic analysis materials (BILs, CSSLs and DHLs) through the Rice Genome Resource Center. These genetic resources and biological materials will contribute to the progress of life science research and will have a great impact in crop improvement programs. The NIAS GeneBank can be accessed at http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/ and the Rice Genome Resource Center at http://www.rgrc.dna.affrc.go.jp/.
