Tissue culture is a method for isolating parts of a plant, such as a group of cells or tissues that are grown in aseptic conditions, so that those plant parts can each grow into complete plants again.

Tissue culture techniques utilize the principle of vegetative propagation. Different from conventional plant propagation techniques, tissue culture techniques are carried out under aseptic conditions, in culture bottles with certain mediums and conditions. Therefore, this technique is often called in vitro culture. In vitro (Latin language) means "in the glass", because the finger is bred in a culture bottle with certain mediums and conditions. The basic theory of in vitro culture is Totipotency. This theory believes that every part of a plant can multiply because all parts consist of living tissues. Therefore, all new organisms that are successfully grown will have the exact same properties as their parent.

Implementation of this technique requires various prerequisites to support the life of the cultured plants. The most essential things are sterile (aseptic) containers and growth media. The media is a place for tissues to grow and take nutrients that support tissue life. Growing media provides a variety of materials needed by the tissue to live and multiply itself.

• SEAMEO BIOTROP’s Tissue Culture laboratory develops planting media for plant propagation using tissue culture technique.
• Plants that are bred using tissue culture technique are high economics value plants, namely: teakwood, jabon, sengon, chesnut, seaweed, anubias, cavendish, satoimo taro, agarwood, eucalyptus and some rare local plants.
• Plant seeds produced by SEAMEO BIOTROP tissue culture laboratory have a very low mortality rate.
• SEAMEO BIOTROP tissue culture laboratory is the first laboratory in Southeast Asia that successfully breed seaweed using tissue culture technique.
• SEAMEO BIOTROP tissue culture laboratory supervised a private institution in Malaysia to develop tissue culture laboratory in Malaysia and assists the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries of Indonesia, local government of Central Sulawesi, and some government agencies in developing seaweed production in some areas in Indonesia.

For further information, please contact:

Dr Erina Sulistiani
Edible Mushroom Cultivation Unit
SEAMEO BIOTROP
esulistiani@biotrop.org