WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS

Newsletter (No.48)–JULY 2010

NEWS FROM THE WFCC and other subjects including the International Nucleotide
Sequence Database (http://www.insdc.org/). The WFCC
World Federation for Culture Collections portal site is the hub of the culture collections and their
customers.
(WFCC) looks to secure the hosting and
management of the WFCC World Data WFCC aims at securing the future development of
Centre for Microorganisms for the coming WDCM and open a call for proposals to host institutions
years and scientists to contribute technically and financially to
this necessary underpinning of research in microbiology.
The WFCC is a Multidisciplinary Commission of the
International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and a The applicant to host institution is required:
Federation within the International Union of - to have active culture collections with a comparatively
Microbiological Societies (IUMS). The WFCC is concerned long history to demonstrate sustainability
with the collection, authentication, maintenance and - to secure long-term funding for WDCM
distribution of cultures of microorganisms and cultured - to have experience of the development and
cells. Its aim is to promote and support the management of regional and/or international
establishment of culture collections and related services, networking of culture collections
to provide liaison and set up an information network - to have IT experts and microbiologists
between the collections and their users, to organize - to have an efficient and flexible management system
workshops and conferences, publications and
newsletters and work to ensure the long-term Any institutes interested in hosting WDCM should submit
perpetuation of important collections. their goals to develop and provide services that improve
access to information for global biotechnology,
The WFCC (through the activities of Professor Skerman, bioindustry and bio-economy, and strengthen the
University of Queensland, Australia, and his colleagues capacity of WDCM to produce, acquire, exchange and
in the 1960's) pioneered the development of an utilize information not only in culture collections and
international database on culture resources worldwide. BRCs but also biodiversity and genomics.
The result is the WFCC World Data Center for
Microorganisms (WDCM). This data resource is now Scope and function of the WDCM
maintained by Professor Hideaki Sugawara at National
Institute of Genetics (NIG), Japan and has records of Scope
576 culture collections from 68 countries (as of June, 1. A global registry of public service culture
2010). The records contain data on the organization, collections – the collections must all be able to
management, services and scientific interests of the provide external access to holdings and data of
collections. Each of these records is linked to a second catalogued strains – provide a function to enable
record containing the list of species held. The WDCM tracking of biological materials through unique
database forms an important information resource for all identifiers
microbiological activity and also acts as a focus for data 2. Provider of metadata on all registered collections
activities among WFCC members. 3. Provide the web presence for the WFCC:
a. Metadata and contacts, links (where
WDCM has to maintain global unique identifiers (GUIs) possible) to WFCC affiliated collections –
for culture collections worldwide and the portal site of distinct from the register
WFCC. The GUI is the key to integrate information in
diverse databases on microbiology, culture collections
1
Edited by Dr Ipek Kurtböke, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
 b. WFCC web pages to deliver the 1. The member collection must accept and
functionality of the WFCC – information implement WFCC Guidelines on the
resources, Newsletters establishment and operation of culture
c. Culture Collections statistics collections
4. Links to other data providing initiatives 2. The member collection shall implement WFCC
guidance on Biosecurity
Functionality (http://www.wfcc.nig.ac.jp/NEWSLETTER/newsl
etter34/a1.html) See below
The above scope defines what functions are needed 3. The member collection shall provide access to
centrally. Applicants may propose additional functions. the minimum level of data to facilitate the
Initially, the host institute is required to reproduce the operation of the WDCM
current functionality described in the following so that 4. The member collection shall implement the
the WDCM services are not interrupted during the WFCC principles of Access and Benefit Sharing
relocation of WDCM. Later on, the host institute is Regime agreed by WFCC General Meeting
expected to expand the Web site to be a portal to other http://www.wfcc.info/NEWSLETTER/GGTSPU-
useful information resources on microbiology and culture styx2.bba.de-31757-6599860-DAT/WFCC-NL-
collections, e.g. straininfo (http://www.straininfo.net/), January-2009.pdf
GBRCN (http://www.gbrcn.org/), Asian Network of
5. The member collection shall record details of the
Microbial Research and etc.
origin of material (including country of origin)
and to whom it is despatched utilising material
WDCM present features transfer agreements as far as practically possible
- CCINFO provides the function for registered so at the very least they know the route of
collections to update their metadata; deposit of the material into the member
- CCINFO database enables users to find collection and who have received material from
collections and services (and where possible, it
links directly to them); currently a species list 6. The collection shall protect and respect
exists and you can find collections that provide Intellectual Property Rights of the depositor and
these species not claim ownership of the materials deposited
- Tools to deliver collection statistics subject to terms and conditions of prior
- Links to regional and national culture collection informed consent (PIC) and MTAs. This does
networks not preclude the member collection or its
- Webmaster for WFCC web pages to ensure rapid employees developing IPR associated with the
and efficient publication of documents and biological materials deposited
notices on the web 7. Where appropriate and where spare capacity
- Catalogue of reference strains exists, back-up collections of important materials
will be maintained this can be with another
member collection subject to agreement
WFCC Rules to be recommended to the 8. The member collection will be free to mention
ICCC12 AGM its membership in appropriate published
The WFCC affiliate culture collection members are material
expected to implement the WFCC Guidelines as 9. Membership is subject to the approval of the
stipulated in the WFCC statutes. It is by the WFCC Executive Board
implementation of best practice that WFCC affiliate
member collections are distinguished from other culture There is still time to comment on the value and content
collections. The WFCC Executive Board published a of these rules please contact the WFCC Board via the
draft set of rules in the last issue of the Newsletter Secretary Philippe Desmeth. They refer (Rule 1) to
inviting member input and comment. There was a very adoption of the WFCC Guidelines, please visit the WFCC
disappointing level of response to this request. Please web site and comment upon the 2010 version (Third
take a careful look at the draft presented here in Edition) of this guidance.
preparation for the ICCC12 General Assembly vote for
adoption.
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Edited by Dr Ipek Kurtböke, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
 WFCC Resolutions and a perspective of provides a comprehensive guide to technical, legislative
the future and practical aspects of working with microorganisms in
a laboratory. Each module provides opportunities for:
David Smith • Self-paced learning with practice activities in
President of the WFCC each topic
• Repeated review of the content and practice
activities to embed concepts and enhance
The Twelfth International Conference for Culture familiarity with key approaches
Collections (ICCC12) rapidly approaches and information • Modular assessments to track overall progress.
on this can be found at http://www.iccc12.info. One of The Managing Microbes course covers (see figure 1):
the key outputs of the ICCC is a list of resolutions of the • The issues around establishing and managing a
conference. These identify global issues from culture collection
discussions and presentations that will form part of the • The methods of characterising and using various
WFCC work programmes between meetings. The WFCC microorganisms
Executive Board and the local ICCC11 Organising • Best practice with regard to identification,
Committee supported by the conveners and chairs of the isolation, storage and growth
congress drew up a number of resolutions (listed below) • Preservation techniques and their application for
as a result of the Eleventh ICCC held in Goslar, specific microorganisms
Germany. The resolutions addressed a number of • Health and safety requirements for working with
challenges that the culture collections of today face and microorganisms
progress towards their delivery are discussed here. • Compliance with international standards of best
practice
1. WFCC will take a leading role in the
development of the Global Biological Further information can be obtained from CABI contact
Resource Collections Network to facilitate [email protected]
collaboration between Culture Collections.
Figure 1: An introductory screen from Managing
The GBRCN Demonstration project has progressed well Microbes
and the WFCC have collaborated in its development. The
GBRCN Secretariat has recently presented its mid-term
report to the German Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF) and activities have been reported on
the GBRCN website http://www.gbrcn.org. Presentations
will be made at ICCC12 in Florianopolis but a key and
most significant development is the submission of a
proposal for a Microbial Resources Research
Infrastructure (MIRRI) to the European Strategy Forum
for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) - see report in this
Newsletter. This could help change the future
networking of culture collections globally and contribute
to their long-term sustainability. The WFCC continues to
collaborate with the GBRCN Demonstration project and
in the future, MIRRI.

2. WFCC will improve its capacity building

efforts exploring new tools (e.g. e-
learning). In addition, funding has been transferred from the UK
Federation for Culture Collections for the WFCC to
The WFCC will benefit from CAB International’s finance a video presentation on culture collection
investment in developing Managing Microbes e learning operations. The EMbaRC project is also working in this
modules. This is an 8-10 hour online course which field and the WFCC will work with them on this activity.

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Edited by Dr Ipek Kurtböke, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
3. WFCC will make an effort to propose a require it. The OECD has created a web based
standard minimal MTA safeguarding the information resource (http://www.biosecurity.org).
interest of all stakeholders
The WFCC is working with various project consortia and
The European Culture Collection Organisation (ECCO) organisations to develop a practical way forward for
has prepared core text http://eccosite.org for collections in biosecurity risk assessment. The EMbaRC
implementation by collection members; this text should project http://www.embarc.eu funded under the EU 7th
be considered by all WFCC member collections. A paper Framework Programme (Grant agreement number: FP7-
was submitted to COP10 to present the WFCC position 228310) is designed to help deliver a code of conduct
(Smith & Desmeth, 2007) and Philippe Desmeth has and mechanisms for risk assessment. The GBRCN is
represented WFCC at subsequent ABS meetings. working with EMbaRC to help microbial resource
collections implement biosecurity best practice.
Smith, D. & Desmeth, P. (2007). Access Together they hope to develop common methodologies
and benefit sharing, a main preoccupation for risk assessment and seek quantitative and qualitative
of the World Federation of Culture tools and assessments that assist in completing
Collections. In: UNEP/CBD/WG- appropriate and comparable risk assessment. A data
ABS/6/INF/3 13 December 2007 base that BRCs may use as a reference will be
Compilation of submissions provided by developed leading to an increasingly harmonized
parties, governments, indigenous and framework of risk assessment and risk management.
local communities and stakeholders on The GBRCN Demonstration Project web site provides on
concrete options on substantive items on biosafety, biosecurity and transport (of biological
the agenda of the fifth and sixth meetings materials) and the implementation of best practices
of the ad hoc open ended working group amongst other items. Links to the EBRCN Information
on access and benefit sharing. Canada: resource, Code of practice for International Depositary
UNEP/CBD. p 68-70. Authorities, WHO Biosafety Manual and other key
operational documents and information are given at:
http://www.gbrcn.org/project/further-reading.html.
4. WFCC will make an effort to create a
workable solution for curators to aid in
Additionally, partners were provided with the publication
risk assessment imposed by biosecurity
BG Chemie Merkblätter to help in the process of risk
regulations (dual-use).
assessment. Both EMbaRC and GBRCN will provide
information for the benefit of all WFCC collections.
Amongst all different legal areas within bio-legislation, Further discussions will be held at ICCC12.
biosecurity is probably the most complex and difficult
aspect. As national controls are put in place through 5. WFCC will collaborate with initiatives such
national legislation, for example the Patriot Act in the as Straininfo.net and Mycobank to
USA and Security Act in the UK, the lists of organisms of improve the quality and validity of strain
concern differ. In a spectrum of risk, spanning natural data placed in the public domain
events, from emerging disease through man’s
intervention (e.g. laboratory accidents to deliberate acts, An experiment is being carried out between
to bioterrorism) the greatest risk comes from emerging straininfo.net and the EMbaRC and GBRCN projects to
disease. Control of access to microorganisms and their give access to WFCC, EMbaRC and GBRCN partner data
safe handling has been in place for many years and is via specific portals. This is paralleled by an experiment
subject to national laws. The OECD Biological Resource broadening the use of the Brazilian Network software
Centre (BRC) Guidelines (OECD, 2007) includes SiCOL. The results of these experiments will be reported
guidance to deliver a practical approach that enables at ICCC12. In addition, the Common Access to Biological
legitimate research and development but reduces the Resources and Information (CABRI) guidelines for
opportunity for misuse. The OECD BRC Task Force catalogue production will be converted into a community
agreed that guidance is necessary but that it should not standard for culture collection data management and
be bureaucratic and applied to situations that don’t delivery.

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Edited by Dr Ipek Kurtböke, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
6. WFCC will work with ICSB to deposit long- because mBRCs very often refuse acceptance of
term preserved type strains of fungi in taxonomically poorly characterized strain assemblages,
minimal two different collections in mostly isolated in the course of field work. Authors,
different countries. requested to deposit into mBRCs selected strains
included in the scientific literature, are lacking assistance
7. As type strains are the property of the regarding the number and taxon to deposit and they will
international scientific community the face a negative response from resource centers unless
WFCC will work to ensure they remain the relevant strain ranges within the specific interest of
available to qualified workers without a mBRC. There is also resistance to deposit strains into
restrictions or impediment. mBRCs, an attitude still in the process of being
investigated. On the other hand, the user is increasingly
The WFCC Board is working on a paper with Brian Tindal dissatisfied with the range of resources offered by
of the ICSP entitled Access to Type strains and mBRCs. While there is excellent coverage for type and
equivalent reference strains from service culture reference strains, specific
collections which is yet to be submitted and covers
aspects of resolutions 6 and 7. Footnote:
At this point, the mode and technicalities of the
There is still a lot of work to be done on these issues transformation of public collections sensu pre-OECD-best-
and it will continue under the new WFCC Board and the practice-era into Biological Resource Centres (BRC) sensu
above mentioned project consortia as their projects and post-OECD-best-practice-era
(http://www.gbrcn.org/project/further-reading.html) are
initiatives develop. under discussion. For the ease of communication the term
microbial Biological Resource Centres (mBRC), denoting a
quality assured collection, will be used.
A strategy for improving the use of
microbial Resource Centres (mBRCs) strains of current scientific interest, plasmids, phages
and mutants included in research are hardly available.
1 2 3
Erko Stackebrandt , Sylvie Lortal , Chantal Bizet , David Alongside these issues, mBRCs are already working at
4 5 the limits of financial capacity, available space,
Smith , Philippe Desmeth ,
6 7
Esperanza Garay Aubán , Nelson Lima and Joost equipment, expertise and, consequently, expansion of
8
Stalpers holdings. Microbial RCs mainly concentrate either in
providing a broad range of biodiversity, often restricted
1 to type and reference strains, or they focus on a specific
, DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany, range of taxa with interest for medicine, agriculture,
2
, CIRM INRA, Rennes, France pharmaceutical or food sectors. There is even a fourth
3
, CRBIP, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France,
4 element impacting on this situation, namely the national
, CABI Europe (UK), Egham, Surrey, UK,
5 granting bodies. Only today, almost 20 years after
, BCCM Coordination Unit, Brussels, Belgium
6 signing the Convention on Biological Diversity
, UVEG-CECT, Valencia, Spain
7
Micoteca da Universidade do Minho (MUM), IBB/Centro (http://www.cbd.int/), governments are slowly
de Engenharia Biológica, Braga, Portugal recognising the added value of a wide access to
8
, CBS, Utrecht, The Netherlands microorganisms, to those living resources for which
associated bio-informatics data are already available,
either by published sources or by data mining of
networked information.
At a time of increasing control of use of biological
materials be it by countries executing sovereign rights of
researchers generating intellectual property a growing Obviously, this vicious circle needs to be forced open in
uneasiness can be observed among the providers and order to satisfy all stakeholders involved. The question is
the users of microbial resources and the curators of at which point should the circle be cracked? Neither
public collections/BRCs (BRC and mBRC - see footnote). editors nor curators have the power to request
Within the group of provider we distinguish between mandatory strain deposition. As voluntary deposition
researcher and author, although being aware that an does not work (as clearly shown by past and present
author is also a researcher. Researchers complain experience), who then should be in the position to
5
Edited by Dr Ipek Kurtböke, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
advise the authors and other scientists which fraction of term storage, IP, MTA, biosafety and biosecurity,
strains to deposit? It should be very clear that we are import/ export and shipping issues and strain
talking only about a fraction of published strains; it also identification approaches.
goes without saying that without a qualified assessment
While a scientist in charge of a research collection
of the strain selected for deposition resource centres
should feel free to contact a collection anytime (either
would be overburdened in no time. The result of a
direct or via the AmBRCA), an author has to wait for the
recent questionnaire to authors (Stackebrandt,
result of the reviewing process. Already at the first
unpublished: see also below) on this matter made it very
revision stage the editor should link the corresponding
clear that authors, in concert with editors and curators
author with the AmBRCA webpage to trigger further
of public collections should be responsible for the
actions. In an optimal situation, following the adaptation
selection: authors, because they (mostly together with
phase, advice on potential strains to deposit could also
the host institution) own the intellectual property rights
come from the reviewers, directed either to the editor or
and they should have the right to exclude those
to the author by the revision report. Here, the journals
'scientifically hot' strains which are still under
could add a relevant item to the score sheet.
investigation; editors, because they should catalyze the
connections between authors and curators, at least as So far, the conceptional development of a multi-facet
long as a network of public collection accepting mechanism is just a construct of ideas that should work
reference strains included in the literature has not been in principle. What is missing, however, is firstly the
established; and curators, because they will evaluate the willingness of all stakeholders involved that the
author's strains in the light of existing gaps in holdings increased deposition and public provision of microbial
of particular taxa. Interestingly, scientists would not like resources adds value to scientific progress and
to see granting bodies to have a say in the selection of stimulates the bio-economy. Secondly, each step in this
strains to deposit. network of interactions is costly in terms of time and
expense. Maintenance of the AmBRCA network, strain
The evaluation of gaps in and strength of, individual
identification, shipping, strain authentification long-term
collections requires a thorough screening of existing
maintenance and electronic catalogue entries are fixed
holdings and expertise at the international level. While
costs which differ from species to species and from
certain national (e.g., Belgium, France UK, USA, Brazil,
mBRC to mBRC.
Japan, Korea) and regional networks (e.g., Europe, Asia)
are presently in the process of inventorying and The question that immediately comes up is: who is
comparing their collections, the range of resource going to pay for this (the reader has probably asked this
centres need to be broadened in order to be able to question much earlier). The question concerning
cope with the expected increase. A centralized coverage of arising cost was asked in the above
professional secretariat, such as that presently being mentioned questionnaire and the response of the
established for the Global Biological Resource Centre authors was univocal: additional costs for strain
Network (GBRCN; http://www.gbrcn.org/) should be identification, shipping and partly for long-term
trustworthy and accepted by all partners. We hesitate to maintenance should be covered by research grants,
assign this role to the World Federation of Culture which mostly comes from national research agencies. It
Collection (WFCC) as this IUMS Federation makes sense to allocate a certain fraction of grants for
(http://www.wfcc.info/index.html) lacks a tightly this purpose, as the professional maintenance of
organized structure needed to fulfil the role of a broker biological material, isolated with tax payers money,
between various stakeholders. Whatever structure will should be of national interest. Research agencies are in
emerge at the end, a gateway giving access to a a powerful position to link the notification of the
centrally maintained database (AmBRCA: Access to granting of funds with the obligation to firstly properly
microbial resource centres and Advice) is needed in maintain strain collections for future adoption by mBRCs,
order to guarantee a smooth dialog between partners and secondly to deposit relevant (depending on the
involved. This database should comprise lists of (i) those outcome of the discussion at the AmBRCA level) strains
mBRCs agreed to work towards a better coverage of included in the scientific literature in public mBRCs.
microbial diversity; (ii) genera and species the Financial support for the necessary expansion of the
participating mBRCs agree to cover; (iii) contact persons latter institutes will not be covered by research grants
for rapid evaluation of external strain collections; and but must come from the mother organisations or
experts for advice on e. g., taxonomic questions, long funding bodies of mBRCs (the responsibilities of
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Edited by Dr Ipek Kurtböke, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
governments, having signed the CBD, to care for ex-situ NEWS FROM MEMBERS
conservation of their national biological material, could
be used as an additional argument). It should be
mentioned that the number of strains deposited outside New Head of the DSMZ
the public domain, i.e., research collections as well as Jörg Overmann
the number of strains covered annually in the scientific
literature has not been evaluated but one can assume
that they constitute a major addition to the about
1.240.000 bacteria and fungi deposited in those
collection which are registered in the World Data Centre
for Microorganisms
(http://www.wfcc.info/datacenter.html). For the
continuous functioning of mBRCs - and many of these
are already now working at the limits of their capacities
- financial support for technical and personnel expansion
is absolutely essential. Acknowledgement of these
essential preconditions by the relevant granting bodies
for research and mBRCs is a conditio sine qua non for a
successful implementation of the mechanisms outlined
above.

After retirement of Prof. Dr. Erko Stackebrandt in 2009,

This communication is an initiative of the European
the DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen
Consortium of Microbial Resource Centres (EMbaRC),
und Zellkulturen GmbH gladly announces the
supported by the European Commission’s Seventh
appointment of Professor Dr. Jörg Overmann (49) as
Framework Programme (FP7, 2007– 2013), Research
director of the Leibniz-Institute German Collection of
Infrastructures action, under the grant agreement No.
Microorganisms and Cell Cultures. Prof. Overmann was
FP7-228310.
recipient of the VAAM-Promotionspreis Ph.D. award of
the German Society of General and Applied Microbiology
Further reading (VAAM) and of a postdoctoral research fellowship of the
German Science Foundation in 1992. At the Carl von
Emerson, D. & Wilson, W. (2009). Giving microbial diversity a
Ossietzky University in Oldenburg, Overmann qualified
home. Nat Rev Microbiol 7, 758. as a professor in 1999. Shortly thereafter, Overmann
became professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians University
Hoskisson, P. (2010). Guardians of microbial diversity. Microbiology
today, August 2010, 200. in Munich, where he led the Department of Biology as
director from 2003 to 2009. The research interests of
Smith, D. & Ryan, M.J. & Stackebrandt, E. (2008). The ex situ
conservation of microorganisms: aiming at a certified quality
Prof. Overmann comprise bacterial speciation,
management. In Biotechnology (Doelle, H.W. and DaSilva, E.J. eds), adaptations to energy limitation, and bacterial
Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), Developed under the interactions. He is Member in the Editorial Boards of
Auspices of the UNESCO, EOLSS Publishers. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Archives of
Stackebrandt, E. & Swings, J. (2005). Bundling the forces in Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology. As
systematists. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55, 993 - 994. scientific and administrative director of the DSMZ, Prof.
Stackebrandt, E. (2010). Diversification and focusing: strategies of
Overmann will be responsible for the overall functioning
microbial culture collections. Trends Microbiol, 18, 283-287. of the scientific and service activities, and will act as
public representative of the institution.
Stackebrandt, E. (2010). Towards a strategy to enhance access to
microbial diversity (Letter to the Editor). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol,
submitted.
Milena Wozniczka, Head of Public relations of DSMZ.
www.dsmz.de

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WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
 Importance and Role of a Service or P3 labs and Bio-safety Laboratories (BSL 3 or 4) are
used. Negative pressure is maintained and air circulation
Culture Collection is through HEPA filters in BSL. The entry to these BSLs
by the workers is restricted and strict security is
maintained to prevent misuse of these disease causing
cultures. Entry cards to the bio-safety facility are
provided only to authorized persons and close circuit
cameras are fixed for electronically monitoring activity in
the BSL area and on the entry/exit points.

Service culture collections publish a list of strains held in

their collection in form of a catalogue of strain or online.
The websites are usually interactive and a customer can
find out whether the strain of their interest is available in
a particular culture collection or not. Service Culture
Swaranjit Singh Cameotra Collections have a collection of microbial cultures from
varied environmental niches in one place under one
Institute of Microbial Technology, roof. Personal Collections of microorganisms with
Sector 39 A, Chandigarh 160036, India researchers are very specialized that have a high risk of
[email protected] loss when the interest of the person changes or is
transferred or retires from the job. Service Culture
A Service Culture Collection is very important for the Collections are professionally managed and funded by
conservation of microbial diversity for long term. the Government/other agencies for long term and thus,
Cultures for research in medical, agricultural, the microbial diversity is safe in the hand of a good
biotechnology and microbiology are carefully preserved service culture collection. Most collections must generate
under one roof and the loss of cultures is prevented. income to survive for example by providing different
They supply strains to researchers and also provide services mentioned above e.g. supplying and identifying
services like identification of cultures, safe deposit and cultures, and by safe deposits and Patent Depository. It
patent deposit. Catalogue of strains held by the is evident that Service Culture Collections are very
collection is published. important.

A Service Culture Collection is of great importance in the

conservation of microbial diversity for long term. The
proper preservation of cultures by at least two different
methods of preservation by a service collection ensures
that microbial cultures are not lost. The provision of
cultures for research in biotechnology and as reference
strains for identification are amongst the many roles a
service culture collections plays such as providing
facilities like freeze drying of cultures, safe deposit and
Patent Depository. Culture Collections also organize
training programs in isolation, maintenance and
characterization of microorganisms by morphological,
biochemical, whole cell fatty acid analysis and molecular
techniques. A list of service culture collections of the
world can be found at http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/hpcc.html.
Most Service collections of microorganisms are members
of the World Federation of Culture Collections (WFCC).
Institute of Microbial Technology' located in Sector 39A,
For handling and processing pathogenic microorganisms
Chandigarh, India
special laboratories for safety are required. Depending
on the degree of pathogenicity of the microorganisms P2
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Edited by Dr Ipek Kurtböke, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
 Table 1: Culture Collections in India microbial diversity. It is very important to have a
centralized culture collection for human pathogenic
ABRC WDCM912 Anaerobic Bacterial Resource Centre
microorganisms/medically important strains with the
WHYLABS RESOURCE CENTRE FOR appropriate BSL 3 or 4 facilities for research in
AYL WDCM934
MICROORGANISMS combating diseases and human welfare. The microbial
strains at the Institute of Microbial Technology from
Culture Collection, Department of different environmental niches are being screened for
CCDMBI WDCM119
Microbiology
bioactive molecules. Samples are collected from the two
Collection of Insect Pathogens, Dept. of 'Hotspots' of biodiversity of India viz. the western Ghats
CIPDE WDCM462 and the Indo-Burma region. Apart from this samples are
Entomology
also collected from Rajasthan and areas in Himachal
DBV WDCM173 Division of Standardisation Pradesh and Leh & Ladakh. Exploration of Microbial
Biodiversity has been initiated but to take care of the
DMSRDE WDCM166 DMSRDE Culture Collection
rich biodiversity of India and tap it, the activities have to
DUM WDCM40 Delhi University Mycological Herbarium be increased by sampling from many more interesting
environments such as the Mangroves and marine
GFCC WDCM946
Goa University Fungus Culture Collection and ecosystems. The production of extracts and their
Research Unit analysis also needs to be increased to a higher level so
that we get useful hits of high value compounds. Other
ITCC WDCM430 Indian Type Culture Collection
activities at the Institute include: Environmental
MCC WDCM930 Microbial Culture Collection Biotechnology, Protein Science and Engineering,
Genetics and Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and
MCM WDCM561 MACS Collection of Microorganisms Immunology. Biochemical Engineering: Fermentation
based Process Development, Bio-computing and
Biological Nitrogen Fixation Project College of Mathematical Modelling and Biosensors and
MPKV WDCM448
Agriculture
Nanotechnology.
Microbial Type Culture Collection & Gene
MTCC WDCM773
Bank In India there are many culture collections. Twenty two
of them are registered with the WDCM.
NCDC WDCM775 National Collection of Dairy Cultures As evident from the Table 1, the culture collections have
diverse coverage of microorganisms ranging from
National Collection of Industrial
NCIM WDCM3 industrial strains, cultures useful in agriculture,
Microorganisms
bioremediation, dairy, food to insect pathogens,
NFCCI WDCM932 National Fungal Culture Collection of India anaerobic and algal cultures.

NIICC WDCM961 NII Microbial Culture Collection These culture collections apart from preserving cultures
and providing services related to culture collections also
Culture Collection, Microbiology and Cell
NTCCI WDCM107 undertake research projects in different areas like
Biology Laboratory
environmental biotechnology, ecology, taxonomy. The
RRJ WDCM846 RRL , Jammu INDIA collections having medically important microbes are
distributed all over the country. There is no centralized
Food and Fermentation Technology Division, culture collection of medically important microbes. I
UMFFTD WDCM562
University of Mumbai
have suggested to ICMR to have one such centralized
VISVA-BHARATI CULTURE COLLECTION OF culture collection of medically important microbes so
VBCCA WDCM931
ALGAE that strains are housed in one central place and are
easily accessible to researchers. Due to good team
VPCI WDCM497 Fungal Culture Collection efforts, MTCC located in the Institute of Microbial
Technology (IMTECH) Chandigarh has been elevated to
an IDA on 4 October, 2002, thus becoming the first IDA
Many countries have sometimes several culture in India. To increase exploration of Indian ecosystems
collections that are service collections again and improve through put in screening programmes
demonstrating the vital roles they have in conserving Indian researchers and collections should play their
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WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
part. Despite the rich biodiversity of India little is ANNOUNCEMENTS
available in the culture collections (see Table 1).
Awareness of the role and importance of strain deposits
in culture collections must be raised by the government
on a large scale. Further, publicly funded research
should result in more of the Indian microbial diversity
being available and deposited in the collections.
Collaborations must be encouraged and well funded so Grants for access to leading EU Microbial Biological
that the exploratory work is enhanced in the various Resource Centres (BRCs)
corners of the country. People with expertise in isolation
and screening of microorganisms for useful compounds
The EMbaRC Training and Outreach Programme (TOP) is
should work with researchers, to learn from their an opportunity for scientists* to stay at one of the
experiences and to ensure that the research heads in
EMbaRC centres and benefit from expert advice and
the right direction. The culture collections listed in Table advanced equipment. EMbaRC will cover the bench fees,
1 must gear up to take up the challenge to conserve and travel and subsistence costs. For more information and
study the rich and possibly unique microbial biodiversity
application form, visit the TOP webpage at:
for production of novel compounds. www.embarc.eu
The author is a Fellow AMI, FNABS, NESA
This unique opportunity for training in collection
Environmentalist and Member WFCC Task Groups. He
management, identification of bacteria and fungi by
joined MTCC/IMTECH in 1987 in the formative years. He
state-of-the-art techniques or phenotypic screening of a
dedicates the article to his father Mr. Darshan Singh, ex-
collection of strains is organised with the support of the
Secretary Law & Justice and Legal Remembrancer.
Seventh Framework Programme, Research
Infrastructures Action.
References:
1. http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/hpcc.html *scientists who work in a institution established in a EU
Member State or FP7 Associated Country (Albania,
2. Preservation of microorganisms as deposits in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Iceland, Israel,
Patent Applications. Swaranjit Singh Cameotra. Liechtenstein, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
BBRC 353(4):849-50. Feb 23, 2007. Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey).

3. Lesser known IPR Protection of New Plant

Varieties. Swaranjit Singh Cameotra, Plant
www.embarc.eu
Breeding February 5, 2007.

4. http://plantbreeding.org/article.php?story_id=
RETURN OF PHAGES
296&slashSess=e5d32c38cb154a98d6c58ac2487
İpek Kurtboke
dacef
University of the Sunshine Coast
Australia
5. Microbial Culture Collections: Their Activities and
Importance Swaranjit Singh Cameotra. In
Due to the increasing antibiotic resistance among
Microbes: Agriculture, Industry and Environment
pathogenic bacteria and emergence of pathogens
pp. 261-269 (2000).
bacteriophages have been in medicinal use in the former
Soviet Union and Eastern Block countries are making a
6. Geographical Indications. Swaranjit Singh
fascinating return to the West for applications. Eliava
Cameotra. CSIR NEWS Progress, Promise and
Institute in Tbilisi, Georgia has been one of the institutes
Prospects, 60, 5-6, 2010
around the world where the technology has been used
even in most difficult times since 1923.

Currently many different Western research organizations

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WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
and commercial enterprises are including bacteriophages Phages are important in the world's biodiversity and
in their programs. I would like to a number of highly regulatory factors in microbial ecology and
publications and announcements to the attention of the communities, not to forget their future potential in
members; medicine, biotechnology and basic research.

• Bacteriophages and Biofilms: Ecology, Phage

Therapy, Plaques (2010), Stephen T. Abedon
(The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH, USA)
(Eds), NOVA Science Publishers, New York.

• Launch of a new journal on Bacteriophages

http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/bact
eriophage (Editor in Chief: Alexander
Sulakvelidze, Intralytix, Inc., Baltimore, MD).

• A literature review of the Practical application of

bacteriophage research (2009). (Author, N.
Chanishvili, Editor: R. Sharpe), George Eliava
Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology and
Virology, Tbilisi, Georgia.

• Contemporary Trends in Bacteriophage Research

(HT Adams, Ed.). NOVA Science Publishers,
New York.

Deposit of the phages in biological resource centres is

now gaining importance for the advancement of
bacteriophage research and applications in this field in
the global arena. A call from the DSMZ is incorporated.

Continuous communication, generation of scholarly

knowledge and information exchange will provide a
sound platform for the effective future uses of
bacteriophages in biotechnology and medicine.

CALL TO DEPOSIT BACTERIOPHAGES

Hans-Peter Klenk & Christine Rohde Microbial Resources Research

DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Infrastructure (MIRRI) a proposal for the
Zellkulturen GmbH European Strategy Forum for Research
Inhoffenstraße 7 B 38124 Braunschweig Germany
Infrastructures (ESFRI) road map
We would like to encourage researchers worldwide to
deposit phages with DSMZ or with other experienced David Smith and Dagmar Fritze, GBRCN Secretariat
culture collections. We would like to inform the WFCC
membership that we are willing to accept any interesting MIRRI brings together European microbial resource
phages. In case a WFCC member colleague knows collections (MBRCs) with stakeholders (their users, policy
phage researchers: please draw the attention on phage makers, potential funders and the plethora of microbial
deposition. research efforts) aiming at improving access to
enhanced quality microbial resources in an appropriate
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legal framework, thus underpinning and driving life diffusing it through education, and applying it through
sciences research. It will build the European platform innovation.
within the future Global Biological Resource Centre
Network (GBRCN) for microorganisms. Biological The ground for such an RI was prepared by the OECD
Resources, such as microorganisms and their Biological Resource Centre Network initiative spanning
derivatives, are the essential raw material for the 1999 to 2006 which has proved immensely important in
advancement of biotechnology, human health and providing best practice and the cornerstones for
research and development in the Life Sciences. The biological resource networking. The GBRCN is the
European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures envisaged global infrastructure that will draw together a
(ESFRI) are establishing pan-European structures to currently fragmented support service for research. The
drive innovation to provide the resources, technologies GBRCN will continue to work closely with the WFCC
and services as the basic tools necessary to underpin complementing its activities through the implementation
research. Having launched ten research infrastructures and networking of those collections wishing to become
in the biological and medical science area Europe is a BRC and deliver to common standards, strategies and
laying down the foundation for a major push to harness policies. The OECD coined the term Biological Resource
biodiversity in its battle to overcome natural resource Centres (BRC) for biological collections operating to
depletion and reduce mans’ impact on our environment. common high quality standards in a legal operational
A call in 2010 for a network to underpin agriculture and framework to facilitate access and exchange. It is
biotechnology development resulted in the GBRCN, evident that no one single collection or country, for that
EMbaRC - European Consortium for Microbial Resource matter, can provide the resources needed on its own
Centres and ECCO - European Culture Collection’s and therefore networks are needed to share the tasks.
Organisation submitting a proposal to establish a
microbial resource research infrastructure. The MIRRI proposal was submitted by the French
delegate to ESFRI and supported by several other
The mission of ESFRI is to support a coherent and countries in its development. It will be co-ordinated by
strategy-led approach to policy-making on research the GBRCN Secretariat based in Braunschweig. MIRRI
infrastructures in Europe, and to facilitate multilateral integrates services and resources, bridging the gap
initiatives leading to the better use and development of between the organism and provision of innovative
research infrastructures, at the EU and international solutions and products for green, grey and white
level. The ESFRI strategy aims at overcoming the limits biotechnology. MIRRI provides coherence in the
due to fragmentation of individual policies and provides application of quality standards, homogeneity in data
Europe with the most up-to-date Research storage and management and sharing the workload to
Infrastructures (RI), responding to the rapidly evolving help to release the hidden potential of microorganisms.
Science frontiers, advancing also the knowledge-based The ESFRI Biological and Medical Sciences working
technologies and their extended use. There are 44 group have evaluated the proposal and are
research Infrastructures on the 2008 ESFRI road map recommending it for the ESFRI road map. The full forum
each addressing a unique niche of research meets in September to decide on its acceptance. If
(http://www.ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/inde accepted MIRRI will move into the first of the three
x_en.cfm?pg=esfri). Each RI is designed to deliver phases, the preparatory, construction and operational
scientific and technological cutting edge and managerial phases. The preparatory phase focuses on governance
excellence in research, education and technology and and structure including technical, legal governance and
provide clear pan-European added value. They provide financial issues. It establishes the links between the
facilities which deliver top-level services attracting a microbiological resource centre (MRC) community, its
widely diversified and international community of users, policy makers and potential funders. It builds on:
scientific users awarding free open access through • The foundation set by the OECD BRC Task Force
international competition on the basis of excellence. providing best practice1
They offer unique research services to users from • The GBRCN demonstration and the EMbaRC
different countries, attract young people to science, and projects
help to shape scientific communities. RIs are at the • Voluntary scientifically based collection network
centre of the knowledge triangle of research, education activities, such as WFCC and ECCO
and innovation, producing knowledge through research,
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WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
MIRRI enhances existing European MRCs linking them to v. Establishment of a legal operational
third country partners extending globally and will bring framework for legitimate and safe
added value: access
• The networking of the partners will enable a
broader coverage of bioresources and services The network will focus efforts through the cluster model
provided. The EMbaRC project - the European to deliver an improved resource to meet user needs.
Consortium of Microbial Resource Centres This can only be achieved via a co-ordinated effort such
project funded under the EU 7th Framework as MIRRI as current structures do not have the capacity.
Programme (Grant agreement number: FP7- Close cooperation with other RI’s such as the Biological
228310) has begun the process of establishing and Biomedical Research Infrastructure (BBMRI) that
policy for deposit of microorganisms in microbial have different user groups, will greatly serve the broad
resource centres. Encouraging editors and scientific user communities. User needs cannot normally
research programme funders to make the be serviced by one collection alone and a co-ordinated
organisms and information associated with them response to their needs is required. International co-
available for confirmation of results and for operation is needed to provide enhanced worldwide
future work. MIRRI will identify gaps in coverage accessibility to information and biological material, - co-
and develop a strategy to provide these ordination of standards - linkage between scientific
resources. needs and government policies - a framework for
• The prime delivery of MIRRI would be the co- regulatory initiatives - a linking mechanism for countries
ordinated approach to coverage of organisms, without BRCs - enhanced efficiency reducing
the expertise to handle them and the delivery of redundancies, - improved transparency. MIRRI
mechanisms to ensure implementation of best addresses these issues.
practice in the provision of the resources and
services. Experience shows with global and regional culture
• MIRRI will establish a distributed platform for collection organisations such as WFCC, ECCO and
microbial taxonomy to ensure best use of the national organisations that a small central body of staff
remaining expertise and to put in place a human is needed to implement network operation and co-
resource development programme. ordinate activities. The ultimate size and function of the
• MIRRI also tackles key obstacles to research central secretariat will be developed as the MIRRI
needs in a co-ordinated way and above what is concept grows, but it will be kept mean and lean. Much
currently supplied by individual microbial of the work of the RI will be done by members working
resource collections: in specialised and focussed clusters, for example
i. Bringing together working groups to addressing legal and policy issues or taxonomic issues,
focus on delivery of resources that meet or focus groups to provide solutions to global
specific needs challenges. The secretariat will manage the day to day
ii. Implement common policies that work operations of the RI, reporting to the management
across international boundaries to board and advised by the scientific advisory board.
facilitate access Collaboration with other RIs and collection community
iii. Help establish facilities and resources in organisations will reduce duplication of effort and share
countries or regions rich in microbial tasks to minimise the need for centralised activity.
diversity but without resources and The decision date is the 24th September just as ICCC12
facilities to make them readily available gets underway.
for research
1
iv. Create linkages to data in other systems OECD Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres
http://www.oecd.org/document/36/0,3343,en_2649_34537_38777060
relevant for data mining and enabling
_1_1_1_1,00.html)
targeting of specific microbial resources See www.gbrcn.org; www.embarc.eu;
for specific tasks – bringing all microbial www.eccosite.org;www.wfcc.info
collection data together creates the
critical mass to make this action
meaningful

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WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/
 REFERENCE STRAIN CATALOGUE b. Filamentous Fungi and Yeasts
PERTAINING TO ORGANISMS FOR 2. Strains Listed by WDCM Number
3. List of Collections and contacts
PERFORMANCE TESTING CULTURE If this works well the ISO joint working groups will
MEDIA consider broadening this use across other standards.
One of the key functions of the WFCC member Please visit the website and provide feedback to the
collections is to provide authentic reference strains for WFCC Board.
various purposes; one of the key areas is in proficiency
testing and in the implementation of standards. The CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
appropriate strains are held by many culture collections
over the world but only a few strain numbers are
referenced in the test specifications. It is essential that ICCC-12 CONFERENCE
the strains used are appropriate and are stable lines of
those originally selected. In response to a request by the Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil September
ISO Joint Working Group 5 and the ICFMH-WPCM the 26-October 1, 2010
WFCC have created an online catalogue to facilitate
access to strains used for performance testing of culture http://www.iccc12.info/index
media.

This catalogue was produced to enable broader and

easier access to the reference strains listed by the ISO
TC 34 SC 9 Joint Working Group 5 in the ISO 111331
and by the Working Party on Culture Media of the
International Committee on Food Microbiology and
Hygiene (ICFMH-WPCM) in their publication Handbook
of Culture Media for Food and Water Microbiology.2 It
fulfils a need expressed by these bodies for a unique
system of identifiers for strains recommended for use in
quality assurance. The WFCC and the WDCM have
initiated a system that will help users find local sources
of the reference strains by citing all collections and
providing contact details and the collection’s unique
reference. Future publications of the ISO JWG 5 and
ICFMH-WPCM groups will cite the WDCM reference
number for each strain and this catalogue provides the
collection acronyms and strain numbers of the relevant 16th INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON FRANKIA AND
strains so that they may be found. ACTINORHIZAL PLANTS-2010 & INTERNATIONAL
SYMPOSIUM ON FRANKINEAE
The catalogue is accessed via the WFCC web site and
provides 5-8 September 2010
1. List of Strains – listing WDCM unique Porto, Portugal
identifiers and links to source collections http://www.ibmc.up.pt/frankia2010/
a. Bacteria

1
4th LYOPHILISATION CONFERENCE
ISO/CD 11133:2009, Annex E. Test microorganisms for commonly
used culture media (giving information on the culture medium, culture 7-9 September 2010
conditions, test microorganisms, culture collection number of test The Window, 13 Windsor Street,
organisms and the expected reactions)
Islington, London, UK
1
Corry, J E L, Curtis, G D W and Baird, R M (Eds) Handbook of Culture Contact Information: Jacqueline Alvarado
Media for Food and Water Microbiology. Royal Society of Chemistry, In
Tel: +44 (0)20 7549 9946
preparation.
[email protected]
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 IBBS DISINFECTION AND DECONTAMINATION Session 1 was devoted to presenting actual
CONFERENCE developments in Turkey with a view to microbial
collections. The lectures covered purely scientific as well
28-29 September 2010 as application and production aspects of e.g. algae, and
University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK theoretical deliberations on how to structure regional
www.ibbsonline.org collections and the relationship of general and national
culture collections.

3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DRUG A Round Table was addressing the challenges
DISCOVERY AND THERAPY microbial collections have to face in the areas of future
scientific demands and increasing regulatory pressure.
7-10 February 2011 Representatives of microbial associations / federations
Dubai, UAE discussed together with curators how to react to such
www.icddt3-02.com challenges. Also discussed was how collections could
make themselves, their services and know-how more
visible, and how to further the dialogue with the various
user communities.
ECCO NEWS
An Extra Session made it possible to present plans for
a major global project in the sequencing-of-full-
The 29th Meeting of the European genomes-area (MEP) in which ECCO collections were
Culture Collections' Organisation invited to participate. In cognition of the diversity of
holdings and long tradition of efforts towards quality of
material and data in European microbial collections, the
consortium of MEP expressed their strong interest in
collaboration with ECCO collections.

The second Session updated participants on a series

of collection networking activities, such as GBRCN,
EMbaRC and BBMRI as well as new collection relevant
1 - 2 July 2010, Istanbul, Turkey approaches, like the Material Accession Agreement and
Dagmar Fritze upcoming regulatory issues like Biorisk, and a new
ECCO Past-President ESFRI based project, the MIRRI initiative.

This year the annual meeting of ECCO took place in the Session 3 was devoted to modern developments in
wonderful city of Istanbul in the Marmara Hotel at methodologies for strain determination, diagnosis,
Taksim Square. The local hosts took every chance to identification and typing; also an example of DNA-
make this meeting a successful one - scientifically as barcoding of strains was presented.
well as socially.
Details of the Programme
The meeting was opened by the Vice President of
Istanbul University, Çiğdem Kayacan, followed by Session 1: Culture Collections in Turkey; Chairs: Bülent
Professor Gürler, President of KÜKENS and Head of the Gürler, Seray Özensoy Toz
local organising committee, and Dagmar Fritze, Genotypic Differences of Leishmania Strains Isolated
President of ECCO. From Turkey; Seray Özensoy Toz
A Strategy for Structuring Regional Culture Collection of
The organisers had compiled a very interesting Clinical Origin; İ. Çağatay Acuner
programme spanning a wide range of scientific, Importance of the National Culture Collections; Demet
organisational, regulatory and political topics. Yumuşak
Ege University Microalgal Culture Collection (Ege-MACC)
and Research Fields; Meltem Conk Dalay

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Round Table: Challenges for the Microbial Resource
Centres in the XXI Century; Chairs: Esperanza Garay,
Gerard Verkleij; Guests: Zeynep Gulay, Milton Da Costa.

Extra Session: A Project of Full-Genome Sequencing -

Microbial Earth Project - MEP
Introduction by Hans-Peter Klenk, Followed by a
Working Meeting of ECCO Collections Interested in
Collaboration

Session 2: Networking of collections - progress of

European Initiatives; Chairs: Dagmar Fritze, Esperanza
Garay
GBRCN - Recent Developments; Dagmar Fritze Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europe to Asia
EMbaRC - Recent Results; Sylvie Lortal
BBMRI - Recent Developments; Barbara Parodi The next meeting of ECCO will take place 2011 in
Approach to a Harmonized Accession Procedure - An Utrecht, The Netherlands under the guidance of the
MAA; Esperanza Garay local host CBS (exact date to be decided).
Biorisk - Recent Developments; Christine Rohde
Update on the MIRRI Proposal; Dagmar Fritze
The scientific parts of the meeting were perfectly
Session 3 matched by the social aspects: the delicious and tasty
Molecular Identification in Culture Collections; Chairs: G. food that was served for meals, the friendly and helpful
Verkleij, Aysegul Karahasan Yagci organising team, perfect organisation and - last but not
Influenza Viruses: From Isolate to Strain Determination least - the wonderful evening Boat Tour full of
and Strain Selection for Vaccine Composition; Meral atmosphere on the famous Bosporus.
Ciblak
Molecular Techniques, Fungi Diagnosis and Collection,
Preservation of Fungal Genomic DNA; Serdar Susever A big “Thank You” to our Turkish hosts and
Use of MALDI-TOF ICMS to identify Candida Species certainly many of the participants will come back
with Clinical Relevance; Cledir Santos one day to the magic city of Istanbul that is
Trends in Molecular Typing for Bacterial Pathogens; bridging the two continents of Europe and Asia.
Aysegul Karahasan Yagci
DNA-Barcoding at CBS; Gerard Verkleij

During this year's Annual General Meeting of ECCO the

elections took place for the positions of President
(Dagmar Fritze, Braunschweig, Germany) and Secretary
(Isabel Santos, Braga, Portugal), which had fallen vacant
because both incumbents were not able to continue in
the respective positions. The new President is now Daina
Eze, Riga, Latvia and the new Secretary is Danielle
Janssens, Gent, Belgium.

This year again prizes were awarded to the three best

posters presented: (3) Casaregola et al.; (2) Misiewicz et Asian shores as viewed from European side
al.; (1) Turcetti et al. The Poster Prize Committee
stressed that all of the posters shown were of high
quality and that it had been difficult to decide against
any of them.
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 GIM2010 NEWS Arts of the Australian Government. Microbial
Systematics symposium placed emphasis on the
Ipek Kurtböke importance of advance microbial classification methods
(Program Chair) and “omics” in biodiscovery. Also a second symposium
titled “Access to microbial genetic resources and
biodiscovery” brought a broader perspective and
promoted greater understanding on the importance of
“Networking biological resource centres to underpin the
bioeconomy” as well as the legislative roles governments
play in “Facilitating access to genetic resources”.

I would like to express our thanks to Dr Ben Phillips and

his team at the Genetic Resources Management Section,
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and
the Arts of the Australian Government for their
continuous support of ongoing scientific efforts for the
mapping and documentation of Australian microbial
resources to ensure their sustainable use in biodiscovery
operations.

Symposium talks included:

The conference on Genetics of Industrial Microorganisms
• Ben Phillips (Facilitating access to genetic
took place in Melbourne (28 June to 1st of July, 2010),
resources) (Australia)
the Biotechnology Capital of Australia and was proudly
• David Smith (Networking biological resource
sponsored by the Victorian Government. The
centres to underpin the bioeconomy) (UK)
conference successfully combined advances in microbial
• Lindsay Sly (Access to microbial genetic
genetics with advances in industrial technologies.
resources and biodiscovery) (Australia)
• Gwo-Fan Yuan (Access to microbial genetic
resources in BCRC for biodiscovery) (Taiwan)
• Libby-Evans-Illidge (Management of access to
marine genetic resources) (Australia)

Prof. Julian Davies, Prof. Arnold Demain and Dr Ipek

Kurtböke

The conference also explored related themes such as

microbial systematics and sustainable use of microbial
genetic resources. This section of the Conference was Prof. Lindsay Sly, Dr. David Smith, Dr. Gwo-Fan Yuan
kindly sponsored by the Department of Innovation, and Dr. Ben Phillips at the GIM2010
Industry, Science and Research as well as the
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and
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WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/