The Importance and Global Trends of Biological Resources: The Introduction of the KCTC and Fungal Resources

Oh, Hee Mock; Shin, Kee Sun

Abstract

In 1985, the Korean Collection for Type Cultures (KCTC), a former organization of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Biological Resource Center (KBRC), was officially approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) as a gene bank node and became a member of the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC). The KBRC was also designated as an International Depository Authority (IDA) under Budapest Treaty in 1990. As a national bio-infra for biological resources, the main functions of the KBRC are 1) collection, preservation and distribution of biological resources, 2) research and development of core technologies for valuable bioresources, and 3) construction of local and international network of biological resources and information. As major activities in 2007, about 1,300 type and reference strains including bacteria, actinomycetes, yeasts, filamentous fungi, anaerobes, cell lines and patent strains were newly acquired and about 4,000 strains were distributed to academia, industries and research institutes. The KBRC published 49 papers regarding biological resources and described 18 new microbial species. Especially, a big progress was made in several aspects: establishment of the back-up depository system for over 3,300 patent strains, development of the barcode system for computerized and centralized management of biological resources, and structural remodeling. The KBRC is going to promote tighter networking among domestic and international culture collections, to strengthen the national depository system for bioproducts from research, and to emphasize research and development related to the collection and preservation of valuable biological resources. Consequently, the KBRC will expand its roles not only as a national infrastructure for life science and biotechnology but also as a fundamental basis of many industries in an era of bio-economy in the 21st century.