The BCCM consortium has exceeded the milestone of having more than 100.000 different biological materials. These well-documented and authenticated strains of bacteria, filamentous and yeasts fungi (including the most important test and control strains), diatoms and plasmids are publicly available and readily deliverable by BCCM on a world-wide basis.
Graph 1 presents the composition of these extensive holdings.
Between 1998 and 2004 the BCCM collections re-categorized their holdings, which has led to a new calculation method and to a reduction of strains in the public collections.
The huge increase in the number of plasmids is due to an increase in storage of DNA libraries in the BCCM/GeneCorner collections. For some of these libraries the individual clones are also available, which strongly increases the number of available genetic resources.
In 2006 the integration of 3 new collections in the BCCM consortium was started. Since then also unique and steadily growing collections of mycobacteria, cyanobacteria and diatoms are available at BCCM.
The BCCM on-line catalogues allow searching the biological material you require based on several search criteria (species name, accession number, depositor, biological or geographical origin, properties ...). In addition, the collections' staff members are willing to provide assistance for the choice of strains that best fit with the purpose of your projects. All information provided by the clients will be treated strictly confidential.
Biological material of the public collections is accessible to the scientific community under the conditions of the BCCM Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), if necessary amended with additional conditions possibly already attached to the biological material.
The accession, control, preservation, storage and supply of biological material and related information in the frame of public deposits are ISO 9001:2015 certified.
For mycobacteria at BCCM/ITM, the control of viability, identity and mycobacterial purity on the batches for release, are performed according to the ISO 15189 standard (BELAC 147MED).
For fungi of medical importance at BCCM/IHEM, the Scientific Institute of Public Health has the competence to perform tests according to the NBN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard (BELAC 081-TEST/081-INSP).
These public collections are the most important asset of the BCCM consortium. However, besides this already big pool of biological materials, the BCCM holds another 300.000 genetic resources in its research and transit collections. These resources can be made available to interested users.