NCIMB news, October 2024
NCIMB’s culture collection curator Dr Samantha Law was one of the contributors to a new report that calls for a “highly ambitious enterprise” to create a microbiome biobank that will contribute significantly to the advancement of science and its application to human health.
The report highlights the importance of microbes in health, agriculture and the environment, and the need to conserve microbial resources and innovation. Key recommendations include establishing the UK microbiome biobank (UKMB) as a hub-and-spoke-model with thematic areas, incorporating existing UK biobanking and culture collection infrastructure, promoting data and technology exchange, developing standards and ensuring ethical and regulatory compliance.
Public culture collections in the UK include NCIMB, CABI, NCPPB, CCAP, NCYC and PHE, and these organisations already collaborate through the UK Biological Resource Centre Network.
A UKMB would enhance economic competitiveness, support the bioeconomy and address global challenges. The report highlighted that it is important to remember that beyond ‘commercial’ value, preservation of biodiversity is a ‘public good’ for the commons and humanity.
The report was facilitated by National Biofilms Innovation Centre, with Dr Matthew Ryan of CABI as lead author. A host of other organisations contributed to the report which can be downloaded from the National Biofilms Innovation Centre website
Microbes play an incredibly important role in sustaining all forms of life on Earth and in supporting the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment