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Article ID: CBB459899665

Big Data in kleinen Dosen. Die westdeutsche Genbank für Kulturpﬂ anzen ‚Braunschweig Genetic Resources Collection‘ (1970–2006) und ihre Biofakte (2017)

Karafyllis, Nicole C. (Author)
Uwe Lammers (Author)

Technikgeschichte: Beiträge zur Geschichte der Technik und Industrie
Volume: 84
Issue: 2
Pages: 163-200

URI: https://doi.org/10.5771/0040-117X-2017-2-163

DOI: 10.5771/0040-117X-2017-2-163

Publication Date: 2017
Edition Details: Themed articles: Alleged Biofacts
Language: German

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Societies; institutions; academies Genes Agriculture Genetics Big data Germany

The Braunschweig Genetic Resources Collection (BGRC) was West Germany’s national gene bank for crop plants. It is analyzed as a living collection of plant biofacts, i.e., semi-living seeds at the intersection between naturalness and technicity. At the BGRC, the first IT-systems for gene banks worldwide was developed as well as the first cryopreservation system for potatoes. The article introduces central actors (Hermann Kuckuck, Dieter Bommer, Lothar Seidewitz, Manfred Dambroth, Loki Schmidt), objects, and structures during the short history of the BGRC (1970-2006). In spite of the ‘death’ of the BGRC during Germany’s reunification process, after which the seeds were integrated into the Leibniz Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) at Gatersleben (the gene bank of the former East Germany/GDR), the Braunschweig objects continue to live on in a latent state in other cooling chambers and cryovials (e.g., also at the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands, CGN). Above all, the article expands the biofacts theory regarding the technical act of collecting and considers elements of a future theory of living collections. Die Braunschweig Genetic Resources Collection (BGRC), die nationale Genbank für Kulturpflanzen in Westdeutschland, wird als Lebendsammlung von pflanzlichen Biofakten vorgestellt und damit an der Schnittstelle von Natürlichkeit bzw. Technizität verortet. An der BGRC wurden sowohl die ersten rechnergestützten Informationssysteme für Genbanken als auch das erste Cryopreservation-System für die Kartoffel entwickelt. Der Artikel zeichnet mit den Personen Hermann Kuckuck, Dieter Bommer, Lothar Seidewitz, Manfred Dambroth und Loki Schmidt wichtige Akteure sowie die Objekte und Strukturen in der kurzen Geschichte der BGRC (1970-2006) nach. Trotz deren Abwicklung im Zuge der deutschen Wiedervereinigung leben die Biofakte in anderen Kältekammern latent weiter, v.a. am Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK) Gatersleben und am Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN). Der Beitrag leistet ferner eine Erweiterung der Theorie der Biofakte um die technische Handlung des Sammelns und sondiert Bausteine einer ausstehenden Theorie der Lebendsammlung.

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Article Karin Zachmann; Nicole C. Karafyllis (2017) Einleitung. Pﬂ anzliche Biofakte: Geschichten über die Technisierung der Agrikultur im 20. Jahrhundert [Introduction. Pﬂ alleged biofacts: Stories about the mechanization of agriculture in the 20th century]. Technikgeschichte: Beiträge zur Geschichte der Technik und Industrie (pp. 95-106). unapi

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