ACCESSION OF MICROORGANISMS

LABORATORY PROCEDURES FOR MICROORGANISMS

REFERENCE NO.: M/1998/2.00

TITLE: ACCESSION OF MICROORGANISMS

Service culture collections may vary substantially in scope with regard to the groups of biological material held. They may be specialised as to organisms, specialised as to subject or may hold different types of organisms. However, each collection should define its scope and function and should establish its own criteria for the deposit of biological material.

A new accession may be necessary for the following reasons:

(1) a scientist wishes or is obliged to deposit a strain (obliged by taxonomic rules, by editors of journals, by national or international regulations or by patent law)

(2) a customer has proposed to add a specific strain to the collection. If the strain fits the criteria for deposit of the collection the strain may be included.

(3) a scientist of the collection itself has asked a potential depositor for a strain of educational, industrial, or scientific interest.

Accession criteria of the different CABRI collections have been compiled in M/1998/2.00 Appendix 2 to 4.

Accession procedure

Following application by a potential depositor, or following screening of the microbiological literature or databases by the collection staff potential strains are identified for inclusion into the General Collection. A strain can be accepted for deposit if it conforms to the accession criteria of the collection.

1.1 In case the collection is interested in accessioning a strain, a standard letter [M/1998/2.00/ Appendix 3.1] together with a blank Accession Form [M/1998/2.01 Appendix 1 to 5] is sent to the potential depositor inviting inclusion of the strain into the General Collection. The potential depositor is requested to return the completed accession form to the collection at the time the strain is dispatched.

In case the collection intends not to accept an offered strain, standard letter M/1998/2.00 Appendix 4.1 is sent to the potential depositor.

1.2 On arrival of culture and accession form:

1.2.1 For unpacking cultures arriving for deposit see M/1998/1.06 Appendix 4

1.2.2 The date of arrival, the depositor, the scientific name and the strain designation is recorded.

1.2.3 After registration, the culture is forwarded to the responsible scientist, who will process the culture as appropriate.

1.2.4 Acknowledging receipt of the strain (Standard letter M/1998/2.06 Appendix 1).

1.2.5 It is advisable to preserve, if possible, the original material.

1.2.6 All strain documents, all correspondence from and to the depositor and any other relevant information is kept in a file.

1.2.7 The strain is then further processed (quality check [M/1998/2.05] and preserved [M/1998/3.00] as soon as possible.

1.2.8 Preserve original material at least until after positive controls of permanent methods.

1.2.9 After the strain has passed the quality check, the accession number of the strain is communicated to the depositor. In addition, cultures may be forwarded to the depositor for depositor check [M/1998/2.07] together with a standard letter [M/1998/ 2.07 Appendix 1] requesting to check the culture and return a confirmation form to the collection [M/1998/2.07 Appendix 2].

A flow diagram of the accession procedure is attached under M/1998/2.00 Appendix 1.

Guidelines prepared for CABRI by DSMZ, CBS and BCCM, 17 May 1998
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