There is a bank at Kansas State University with an unusual currency.
It is given away to people all over the world, and it could be crucial in making sure the world's food supply keeps up with a growing population.
This bank is called the Wheat Genetics Resource Center. Inside aluminum packets in aluminum boxes in a refrigerated room are the seeds from 11,000 strains of wheat. The seeds are a living collection of wheat from at least 15 different countries, so that even if their habitat dies out, these strains will live on at K-State.
The wheats in the bank are used in the creation of new types of wheat. If farmers need wheat that can stay alive in hot weather, or high humidity, or is resistant to disease, K-State scientists can custom-build them.
