The Brazilian Collection of Environmental and Industrial Microorganisms (CBMAI), located within the Division of Microbial Resources at the Multidisciplinary Center for Chemical, Biological, and Agricultural Research (CPQBA/UNICAMP), has been selected to participate in the implementation of the ABNT NBR ISO 20387:2020 standard. This initiative is part of the continuous improvement of the collection’s laboratory activities as a Biological Resource Centre (BRC).
What is ABNT NBR ISO 20387:2020?
ABNT NBR ISO 20387:2020 specifies general requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistent operation of biobanks. It establishes quality control requirements designed to ensure the appropriate quality of biological material as well as associated data collections.
Why is implementing this standard important?
Biobanks function as dedicated centers for the preservation of biological material. Implementing this standard is essential because it harmonizes and elevates the technical rigor of logistical and laboratory operations covering the acquisition, preparation, preservation, storage, and distribution of resources. This ensures end-to-end traceability and collection integrity, validating the facility’s competence to keep biological materials stable, secure, and fit for long-term intended use.
Contributions to CBMAI services and to society
Since 2002, CBMAI has operated in the distribution and taxonomic characterization of strains to foster scientific, technological, and industrial development in Brazil. Since 2020, the collection has held ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for testing procedures involving the viability, purity, and identification of microbial strains.
Meeting the requirements of ABNT NBR ISO 20387:2020 will substantially expand the collection’s quality management system by aligning it specifically with biobanking activities. For CBMAI’s internal operations, this delivers higher confidence in method validation and operational risk management. For society, it guarantees that industrial sectors, research and academic institutions, and government bodies maintain access to microorganisms of environmental and industrial interest with the highest degree of excellence, biosafety, and authenticity demanded by the global market, directly advancing Brazilian biotechnology.
