National Reference Collection (NRC)

April 19, 2023

WDCM Identifier

1265

Organizational structure

CHAP is a UK Agri-Tech Centre funded by Innovate UK, and brings together leading scientists, farmers, advisors, innovators and businesses to understand industry challenges, drive research and innovation and develop and trial solutions that transform crop systems.

Collection Institution/Entity

CABI

Collection Contact

Sophie Lane

Position of Collection contact

National Reference Collection Technician

Collection Phone

01904 217932

Collection can be contacted

Yes

  • Has continued institutional support
  • Interested in Culture Collections Exchange
  • Interested in working with samples from different repositories
  • Interested in Collaborative Programs
  • Collection contains reference strains
  • Ability to accept orphan collections

Collection Category

Publicly available (qualified curator, collection management policies, microbial specimens, a database of collection information, an online strain catalog, and distributes strains to the scientific community)

Collection follows best management practice guideline

OECD Best Practices Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres (https://www.oecd.org/health/biotech/oecdbestpracticeguidelinesforbiologicalresourcecentres.htm), World Federation for Culture Collections Guidelines (http://www.wfcc.info/guidelines/)

Organisms in Collection

Fungi, Bacteria, Seeds, pest insect larvae, environmental spore trap samples.

Reference strains in collection

Plant pathogens found and isolated in the UK could become reference strains in future.

Training opportunities provided by Collection

With the support of CABI (a CHAP partner, and host of the National Reference Collection) training around culture collection management and preservation techniques can be facilitated.

Funding Sources for Research performed with Collection specimens

Innovate UK

Availability and distribution mechanisms

Fee per strain for distribution

Services provided by Collection

Storage service (safe deposit), Strain isolation/taxonomic identification, Custom material preparation (such as genomic DNA/RNA)

Consultations provided by Collection

Preservation, Shipment regulations

Host Associations in Collection

Grain crops, Fruits, Vegetables, Insects, Soil, Built Environment

Research fields relevant to Collection

Agriculture, Culture and preservation methods, Freeze drying and cryopreservation, General microbiology, Genetics, Industrial microbiology, Molecular biology, Plant pathology