En el área de los recursos genéticos, un banco de germoplasma o banco de semillas es un lugar destinado a la conservación de la diversidad genética de uno o varios cultivos y sus especies silvestres relacionadas. En muchos casos, no se conservan semillas sino otros propágulos, tales como tubérculos o raíces debido a que el cultivo en cuestión se multiplica sólo asexualmente. La conservación de las semillas se realiza a bajas temperaturas, de modo de mantener por muchos años una adecuada viabilidad de las mismas. Físicamente, los bancos de germoplasma consisten en grandes depósitos de sobres de semillas conservados a bajas temperaturas.

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A seed bank (also seedbank or seeds bank) stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity; hence it is a type of gene bank. There are many reasons to store seeds. One reason is to have on-hand the genes that plant breeders need to increase yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, nutritional quality, etc. of plants used in agriculture (i.e., crops or domesticated species). Another reason is to forestall loss of genetic diversity in rare or imperiled plant species in an effort to conserve biodiversity ex situ. Many plants that were used centuries ago by humans are used less frequently now and seed banks offer a way to preserve that historical and cultural value. Collections of seeds stored at constant low temperature and moisture guard against loss of genetic resources that are otherwise maintained in situ or in field collections. These alternative 'living' collections can be damaged by natural disasters, outbreaks of disease or war. Seed banks are considered seed libraries and contain valuable information about evolved strategies to combat plant stress or produce novel products. The work of seed banks spans decades and even centuries. Most seed banks are publicly funded and seeds are usually available for research that benefits the public. Seed banks store seeds to keep them viable. Distribution of seeds from seed banks is a form of swapping seeds The Global Seed Vault is situated in Svalbard, midway between Norway and the Arctic.

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