Understanding the Role of Microbial Culture Banks

Microbial culture banks serve as collection centers for various microorganisms. Their function is to gather, culture, maintain, and distribute these organisms to society. These banks house multiple microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, archaea, viruses, bacteriophages, and genetic materials like nucleic acids and plasmids. These microbial cultures are crucial for supplying necessary organisms in research, health sectors, academia, pharmaceuticals, quality control assays, and biotechnology, while also aiding in preserving environmental microbial diversity.

Introduction

Microorganisms are present in nearly every ecological niche on Earth. They are the most ubiquitous life forms we encounter. Microorganisms are essential in various fields such as microbiology, biotechnology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, acting as vital model organisms for research. Preserving these useful microorganisms is crucial to maintain their phenotypic characteristics and ensure they remain pure and viable over generations. This task is challenging for individual institutions, which is why culture banks exist as global repositories for these valuable microorganisms.

Microbial culture collections worldwide

The first culture collection was established by Prof. Frantisek Král in 1890 at the German University of Prague. Currently, 834 culture collections across 78 countries are registered with the World Data Centre for Microorganisms (WDCM). The Global Catalogue of Microorganisms (GCM) provides information on over 530,658 strains. Culture banks have preserved millions of microorganisms over the years.

The World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) has developed guidelines to support the establishment, operation, and long-term sustainability of microbiological resource centers, which are essential for scientific infrastructure.

Services offered by culture banks

Culture banks provide several services, including:

• Culture supply: They isolate, preserve, and distribute microbial cultures to institutions and organizations.
• Culture deposit: Researchers can deposit their culture lines for future reproducibility, with culture collections offering confidential storage for key microorganisms referenced in scientific studies.
• Culture identification: They provide identification and characterization services for microorganisms based on specific requirements.
• Genomic services: Culture banks maintain collections of nucleic acids and plasmids.
• Customized services: They offer tailored services such as nucleic acid extraction, cloning, and sequencing data as needed by researchers.

Some culture collections are recognized by the International Depositary Authority (IDA) for the deposition of patent cultures, managing the collection, preservation, and distribution of these specialized cultures.

Significance of culture banks

Microbial culture banks are crucial for scientific breakthroughs. They grant researchers access to diverse microbial strains, facilitating studies on microbial physiology, genetics, and interactions. These banks are instrumental in developing new therapeutics, vaccines, and biotechnological innovations, playing a vital role in combating emerging infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

Culture banks also promote advancements in industrial applications. They are invaluable for bioprospecting, supplying microorganisms with unique metabolic capabilities for producing enzymes, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and other bioproducts. By leveraging the microbial diversity stored in these banks, industries can enhance processes, minimize environmental impacts, and encourage sustainable development.

Moreover, culture banks significantly contribute to environmental conservation by preserving endangered or rare microbial species, thus protecting biodiversity and preventing extinction. They also assist in restoring degraded ecosystems by providing microbial inoculants for soil remediation and bioremediation projects.

American Type Culture Collection (ATCC)

The American Type Culture Collection is a private, nonprofit organization focused on acquiring, preserving, authenticating, and distributing diverse biological materials.

Recognized as a leader in banking and storage, ATCC houses one of the largest general service culture collections globally, with over 85,000 authenticated cultures. Their collections include BSL-3 type cultures.

ATCC maintains rigorous standards for authentication and documentation, ensuring the viability and characteristics of the materials in their care. Cultures are preserved and distributed in frozen or freeze-dried formats worldwide.

ATCC also offers culture guides, resources, and webinars to support scientists in utilizing these cultures effectively. New culture variants are released monthly, underscoring ATCC's status as an exceptional collection center.

Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC)

The Microbial Type Culture Collection (IMTECH, Chandigarh) is India's premier culture collection center. Recognized by IDAs and registered with WDCM, MTCC boasts a rich collection of around 12,000 microbial strains. They offer services such as culture supply, identification, and culture deposit. MTCC scientists have described around 100 novel taxa of bacteria, actinomycetes, and yeasts. Cultures are preserved in three forms: at -80 °C, in liquid nitrogen, and in lyophilized formats. MTCC provides free services for depositing microbial cultures.

ARS Culture Collection (NRRL)

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Culture Collection is among the world's largest public collections of microorganisms, housing approximately 98,000 isolates of bacteria and fungi.

ARS scientists conduct and facilitate microbiological research that enhances agricultural production, food safety, public health, and economic development.

Conclusion

Microbial culture banks play a multifaceted role in advancing scientific knowledge, fostering industrial innovation, and promoting environmental sustainability.

Their importance lies in their ability to preserve microbial diversity, facilitate research, and support applications across various sectors. As we navigate modern challenges, microbial culture banks emerge as essential custodians of microbial wealth, driving progress and prosperity in numerous fields. Their scope has expanded significantly to include genomics, rapid diagnostics, and data banks.

According to the source: News-Medical.