Pan-Smithsonian Cryo-Initiative

Our Mission

PSCI is a program to collect, manage, and share Smithsonian's frozen biomaterials with excellent standards to better understand and sustain biodiversity.

Our Vision

The Smithsonian Institution is a recognized leader in cryo-banking biomaterials.

PSCI Goals

1. Excellence in Sample Care, Discoverability, Access, & Use
2. Strengthen Program Capacity & Sustainability
3. Enhance Smithsonian Biobanking Leadership & Recognition

PSCI Objectives

1. Sustain & Improve Frozen Collections Care & Use
2. Increase Sample Discoverability & Access
3. Increase PSCI Resources, including staff sizing and diversity
4. Integrate Maintenance into SI Budgets and Facilities
5. Enhance Program Sustainability
6. Transform from an "Initiative" to a Centralized Program
7. Strengthen PSCI/SI Biobanking Brand
8. Communicate PSCI/SI Biobanking Brand & Scientific Leadership to Raise Profile of Biobanking 

In 2007, the Smithsonian established a Pan-Smithsonian Cryo-Initiative, led by then-Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists and supported by then-Office for the Undersecretary for Science (OUSS). Their mandate was to establish a mechanism for effective communication among dispersed stakeholders.

The Pan-Smithsonian Cryo-Initiative Steering Committee includes staff from the National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and Smithsonian Enviromental Research Center. Together, the program manager, leader, and the Steering Committee develop pan-Institutional policy guidance and coordinate efforts to survey and monitor Smithsonian’s collections, secure resources, and leverage new partnership opportunities. The group also advises on developing standard operating protocols for biospecimen science and access and benefits sharing.

Program Leader
Pierre Comizzoli, National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

Pierre Comizzoli is a research veterinarian at the National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute in Washington D.C. He started his career in French Guyana studying the seasonal reproduction of different mammals. He has worked on the implementation of assisted reproductive techniques and genome resource banking in various deer species at the National Museum of Natural History of Paris. In 2002, Dr. Comizzoli joined the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute in Washington DC as a staff scientist to develop new projects of gamete and gonadal tissue cryo-banking for rare and endangered species (including carnivores, ungulates, and amphibians). Based on fertility preservation studies in various wild and domestic animal species, his research is comparative and creates interesting bridges with human reproductive medicine.

Program Manager
Piper Mullins, Pan-Smithsonian Cryo-Initiative

Piper Mullins serves as the PSCI program manager to lead program initiatives and strategic planning, and to facilitate the Smithsonian network of frozen collections and cryobiology research operations, biomaterial storage, and information systems management. She works closely with the PSCI Steering Committee and other Smithsonian and external stakeholders to support Smithsonian frozen collection care and management activities. As the program manager, she manages PSCI strategic planning and implementation, budgeting, and related committee activities. Committee activity includes leading departmental teams to develop biorepository Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), managing sample management database configuration and implementation projects. In addition, Ms. Mullins acts as a biobanking liaison and Smithsonian representative on the US Government delegation to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). She is actively involved in the International Society for Environmental and Biological Repositories (ISBER), where she has served as President and Past-President of the Board of Directors to bring knowledge of conservation biorepositories.

Steering Committee

• Jennifer Donato, Registrar, National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
• Juan Maté, Manager for Scientific Affairs and Operations, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
• Katrina Lohan, Research Scientist, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
• Carol Butler, Associate Director for Collections, National Museum of Natural History
• Jane Passman, Senior Facilities Master Planner, Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations
• Vacant, Office of the Chief Information Officer

Embedded Staff

• Maria Fernanda Castillo, Research Manager, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Program Supporters

• Undersecretary for Research and Science
• National Collections Program (NCP)
• National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI)
• National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)
• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)

For inquiries please contact Piper Mullins, mullinsp@si.edu

Strategic Roadmap and Annual Reports

The PSCI Strategic Roadmap 2023-2028 builds upon the success of its previous goals and objectives to further the PSCI mission to collect, manage, and share the Smithsonian’s frozen biomaterials with excellent standards and to better understand and sustain biodiversity.

To request PSCI's Strategic Roadmap 2023-2028, its Annual Reports, or to learn more, please contact PSCI Manager Piper Mullins, mullinsp at si dot edu.

The Pan-Smithsonian Cryo-Initiative serves as advisory body to the Smithsonian leadership on frozen collections stewardship. Together, they are establishing a framework for setting Institutional priorities and defining frozen collections stewardship and data management guidance.

The frozen collections include:

Genome Resource Bank for Global Conservation (National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute) The National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute maintains a valuable living repository of specimens from rare and endangered species in the Genome Resource Bank to support efforts in biodiversity and species conservation.

Molecular Evolution Frozen Collections (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) STRI's frozen collection holds more than 50,000 samples of tissues and DNA from fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, sea urchins, shrimps, insects, plants, etc., preserved at -80C.

Fish Stem Cell Cryopreservation (National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute) Mary Hagedorn (NZCBI) and Lynne Parenti (NMNH) work to develop cryopreservation techniques for spermatogonial stem cells. The standardized field-based method developed through this work will ensure that these programs have living archives that will be accessible for decades or more. 

Milk Repository (National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute) Scientists at the Milk Repository preserve and analyze milk samples for their nutritional composition, enabling the replication of formulas. Their work helps zoos and animal care facilities across North America meet the nutritional needs of neonatal and developing mammals in human care. 

NMNH Biorepository (National Museum of Natural History) NMNH’s departmental collections (bird, amphibian, fish, mammal, reptile, insect, plant, and ecological samples) are associated with museum vouchers, facilitate research in evolution and systemic, and studies in population genetics.

The PSCI connects the frozen collections facilities across SI. It serves as the point of contact for Smithsonian biospecimen science and provides a forum for frozen collections groups to interact with the Smithsonian’s National Collections Program, Smithsonian offices or departments, and external entities.

NMNH Biorepository (National Museum of Natural History) Bird, amphibian, fish, mammal, reptile, insect, plant, and ecological samples are stored in this MD-based facility, opened in 2011.

Front Royal Biorepository (National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute) In 2020, NZCBI opened a biorepository and cryo-preservation laboratory in Front Royal, Va., creating a world-class biodiversity preservation program with cell line capability.

STRI Frozen Collection (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) STRI houses their valuable neotropical vertebrate and invertebrate collection at their Naos Island Laboratories.

The long-term storage and preservation of representative environmental, animal, and tissue specimens for deferred analysis and evaluation is a valuable component of real-time monitoring and basic research.

Well-organized cryo-collections enable investigators to extend their research into the past and provide future verification of analytical results. Smithsonian researchers are using frozen and cryo-preservation storage supported by PSCI in many ways.

Genome Resource Banking & Cryopreservation

Butterfly Microbiomes (Owen McMillan)