The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, known as the "Third Pole of the Earth," is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. It nurtures a large number of rare species endemic to the plateau—such as Saussurea involucrata (snow lotus), Rhodiola rosea, Ophiocordyceps sinensis (caterpillar fungus), Tibetan antelope, and plateau pika. These species are not only critical components of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau ecosystem, but also important elements of the national germplasm resource strategy.

Led by the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau National Germplasm Bank is a specialized national platform focused on alpine, high-altitude, and high-UV ecological environments. It carries two key missions: first, to serve as a long-term preservation "Noah's Ark" for plateau-endemic species; second, to provide foundational data support for biodiversity conservation research and the development and utilization of germplasm resources.

• Loss and Degradation of Physical Specimens: Insect specimens are vulnerable to moth damage, mold, and embrittlement; herbarium specimens fade, shrink, and deform over time; and fluid-preserved specimens suffer form and color distortion due to preservative evaporation. High-altitude/alpine endemic species and type specimens of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are exceptionally rare, while extreme environmental factors—such as high cold, intense UV radiation, and severe diurnal temperature fluctuations—cause physical specimens to rapidly lose their morphology after collection.

• Lack of 3D Morphological Data: Current digitization in herbaria and specimen museums primarily centers around cataloging specimen labels and capturing 2D planar photography. While this completely records collection details and overall appearance, it struggles to preserve key 3D taxonomic features, such as wing vein branching angles, hilum depressions, spatial gill arrangements, or seed surface micro-sculpturing.

• Information Sharing Restricted by Physical Accessibility: Physical specimens are limited by storage environment conditions, loan policies, and endangered species protection regulations, making it difficult for off-site researchers to conduct repeated examinations. The absence of 3D morphological data hinders collaborative research and public science communication.

Figure: Gentiana lineata featured in the "Illustrated Handbook of Wild Vascular Plants in the Sanjiangyuan National Park" compiled by the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Although the concept of 3D digitalization is widely recognized, existing technological approaches encounter bottlenecks when applied to biological specimens, making large-scale implementation difficult:

• Laser 3D Scanning: Typically outputs only white geometric meshes without capturing the natural color and texture of the specimen. It requires additional manual registration of color textures—a fragmented process with inconsistent precision.

• Structured-Light Scanning: The limited field of view requires operators to repeatedly flip and scan specimens before stitching them together. This poses a high risk of physical damage to brittle, moth-eaten, or delicate pin-mounted specimens. Manual post-processing for texture alignment can take hours to days per item, lacking scalability for collections containing tens of thousands of specimens.

• Manual Photogrammetry: Traditional photogrammetry relies heavily on operator experience to set camera angles, focal lengths, and lighting conditions. Point cloud alignment is prone to holes and stretching distortions. Variations across different operators lead to inconsistent model accuracy and color fidelity, making it difficult to meet standardized, research-grade archiving requirements.

• Time-Sensitive Samples: Fungal fruiting bodies and fresh flowers must be digitized within a short timeframe. The traditional modeling cycle far exceeds the effective preservation window for these samples, resulting in the permanent loss of 3D morphological data.

The JLM-Lifetech 3D Digital Specimen Rapid Construction System integrates a high-precision optical imaging array, automated image acquisition, and intelligent 3D reconstruction algorithms. It simplifies professional 3D modeling into a three-step process: "Place Sample → One-Click Start → View Model." In as little as ~15 minutes, it generates a 720-degree high-fidelity color 3D digital twin, providing a research-grade, non-fading, and remotely shareable 3D morphological data foundation for Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau biodiversity conservation and germplasm bank construction.

• One-Click Automated Modeling for Continuous Batch Archiving: Built-in intelligent algorithms automatically execute image acquisition——point cloud calculation——mesh optimization——texture mapping, requiring no manual parameter adjustment or post-processing repair. The modeling time per specimen is approximately 15–20 minutes.

  • Plateau Application Value: The germplasm bank holds vast numbers of specimens waiting to be digitized; this system supports rapid multi-batch modeling to continuously drive progress.

• 720° Non-Destructive Full-Angle Acquisition: A unique lens array and light field design capture full-angle data in a single shot without flipping the sample, avoiding wear and tear on precious specimens.

  • Plateau Application Value: The plateau yields numerous fresh, fragile, and easily damaged specimens. The non-destructive acquisition of this system eliminates physical handling risks, enabling every rare specimen to be safely digitized.

• High-Fidelity Color & Fine Microstructure Restoration: The system accurately reproduces key taxonomic features, such as hilum morphology, wing vein textures, epidermal folds, and the cross-sectional color of medicinal materials. The software also supports virtual 3D measurements (length, width, angle, projected area, groove depth, etc.), directly serving morphometric and numerical taxonomy research.

  • Plateau Application Value: Alpine plants often possess special pigment accumulations adapted to intense UV radiation (e.g., the white woolly hairs of snow lotus or the red rhizomes of Rhodiola). These color characteristics are critical indicators for taxonomy and ecological adaptation; high-fidelity color restoration ensures this vital information is never lost.

• Universal Format Export + Digital Herbarium Management Module: Directly exports universal OBJ 3D formats and supports 3D printing. Integrated with a digital herbarium management module, it enables online display and sharing across multiple terminals, as well as connection to immersive interactive devices to expand research and science communication capabilities.

  • Plateau Application Value: Remote collaborators can remotely view 3D models via shared links without traveling to the plateau. They can perform morphological measurements and taxonomic comparisons, dramatically reducing collaboration costs and breaking down geographical barriers.

Figure: Germplasm resource digitalization conducted by the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology using the JLM-Lifetech 3D Digital Specimen Rapid Construction System.

Biodiversity Conservation

• Biodiversity survey stations in nature reserves

• Wildlife rescue centers and epidemic source/disease monitoring stations

• Customs plant quarantine / health quarantine vector specimen rooms (invasive species identification)

• Natural history museums and science education bases

Germplasm Resource Applications

• National and provincial wild biological germplasm banks

• Crop germplasm nurseries and genetic resource preservation farms

• Medicinal plant resource nurseries and Traditional Chinese Medicine specimen museums

• Herbaria/specimen repositories in university and research institute botany, zoology, and entomology departments