CBMAI continuously expands its holdings, encouraging the deposit of microbial strains derived from academic research projects or those of industrial and environmental importance. Deposit requests undergo a preliminary analysis by CBMAI to verify compliance with the collection’s scope and biosafety levels.
The CBMAI collection focuses on microbial strains with biotechnological, educational, and taxonomic applications (reference and type strains) and contains biological material restricted to risk groups 1 and 2 (according to the WHO classification). Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are accepted for deposit when they fall into groups 1 or 2 of the Brazilian classification (CTNBio).
Preservation is carried out through lyophilization, ultra-freezing, and water (Castellani) methods, in accordance with internationally recommended standards. Quality is ensured through viability, purity, and authentication tests, which are performed as routine procedures in the Collection. Authentication is carried out using molecular and/or conventional taxonomic methods for identity confirmation and validation. Viability and purity tests are performed at the time of deposit and whenever a culture is reactivated for shipping.
CBMAI offers four deposit modalities:
- Confidential Deposits: Both the culture and associated information are processed and stored in confidence, independent of the public collection.
- Open Deposit: In this category, cultures and associated information are made available in our online catalog and can be accessed by the public.
- Closed Deposit: Cultures from thematic collections structured through scientific partnerships, with access limited to those involved in the agreement.
- Restricted Deposit: The culture and associated information are processed and stored in confidence for a defined period to meet a specific condition (such as a description of a new species, patent application, or protection of research results) before moving to an open deposit.
More details:
• Open Deposit (Public Access Collection): Includes biological materials and associated information freely accessible to industry and the scientific community. This material may be requested by national and foreign researchers and institutions for research purposes and specific applications, in accordance with current legislation for access to National Genetic Heritage and Associated Traditional Knowledge, Law No. 13,123, of May 20, 2015. For cultures that are part of ongoing research whose publications have not yet been finalized, it is possible to restrict public access (restricted open deposit) for up to two years. This request must be made by the depositor via email at the time of the deposit request. After this period, the culture will be made available in the collection’s online catalog.
• Confidential Deposit (Secret Deposit): CBMAI also receives biological material for security deposits of a confidential nature, subject to an annual fee agreed upon at the time of contract signing. In the confidential deposit category, the depositor is entitled to one subculture/lyophilized sample per year upon request, provided the annual fee is up to date. Both the material and associated information are processed and stored under confidentiality and maintained independently of the public collection holdings. Non-payment of up to 2 consecutive annual fees grants CBMAI the autonomy to make the strain available in the collection’s online catalog.
Completion of the Process: At the end of the deposit process, the depositor will receive a sample (active subculture or lyophilized) of the deposited microorganism (the depositor’s rightful culture) along with the deposit letter and the strain’s acronym at CBMAI.
Important: The deposit of a culture at CBMAI can only be completed after the Service Contract is signed and the Deposit Form is filled out. To do so, the client must send an email to the collection curator, Dr. Derlene Attili de Angelis (derlene@cpqba.unicamp.br), containing the deposit request, taxonomic identification, the origin of the biological material to be deposited, and a brief justification for the deposit at CBMAI. The name of the Institution/Company to which the client is affiliated and the phone number must be included in the email. e-mail encaminhado.
Consult the Curator for information on open and confidential deposit fees.