ARISTO project update

The first newsletter of the ARISTO project is out now. The European Commission funded project aims to revolutionise how the toxicity of pesticides to soil microorganisms is assessed. Nine research fellows are being trained in a multinational and multidisciplinary environment by seven academic and nine industrial partners, of which NCIMB Ltd is one. In this first newsletter, ARISTO project coordinator Prof Dimitrios Karpouzas, explains the importance of improving the assessment of pesticide toxicity in relation to soil microorganisms. Soil microorganisms are the growth engines of the terrestrial ecosystems, and essential …

Guide to the Deposit of Biological Material for Patenting Purposes

NCIMB have produced a downloadable guide to the deposit of biological material for patent purposes. The patenting system was developed to stimulate innovation – offering protection in exchange for the disclosure of inventions allows other inventors to understand the latest advances and build on them to develop new technologies. For many inventions, disclosure requires a written description and drawings. In the case of inventions that are, or require the use of biological material, disclosure includes the deposit of biological material in a recognised institution. NCIMB is such an institution, and …

18 PhD places open for application at CDT SuMMer

NCIMB is delighted to be involved in a PhD project based at Heriot-Watt University that aims to improve understanding of the biodegradation and residence time of microplastics in the ocean. The project is one of 18 that make up the first of three rounds of PhD scholarships at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources (CDT SuMMeR). The centre, which was established to deliver the next generation of innovative transdisciplinary engaged researchers, is led by he University of Plymouth, and brings six hosting, and four …

NCIMB sponsors Royal Society of Chemistry Directing Biosynthesis conference

We are delighted to be a sponsor of the Royal Society of Chemistry Directing Biosynthesis conference, which will be held in Edinburgh and online 27-29 June 2022. Directing Biosynthesis VI will cover all aspects of microbial, plant and marine natural products research. NCIMB curates a unique collection of microorganisms with a host of potential industrial applications as well as providing laboratory services, microbial identification, whole genome sequencing, microbial community analysis, qPCR and storage services. We also work collaboratively with other organisations to unlock value from microorganisms. Early bird registration until …

NCIMB celebrates 40 years as a limited company

NCIMB celebrates its 40 anniversary as a limited company this year, and to mark this milestone, we have produced a new brochure outlining the full range of services we offer our customers. It is going to be an exciting year, as we will be moving to new bespoke premises that will allow us to grow and develop the range of services we offer our customers. We can’t wait to get settled in to our new home! Our new brochure includes a look back to our origins as a national culture …

Need to identify Bacillus isolates as part of your environmental monitoring programme? Whole gene 16S sequencing can provide fast and accurate results

by Vikki Warren, NCIMB Identification Services Manager Identification of bacterial isolates provides vital information for pharmaceutical microbiologists undertaking environmental monitoring programmes within GMP production facilities, but some genera and species can be more tricky to identify than others. A commonly encountered example is identification of Bacillus species. Why 16S sequencing? At NCIMB we use 16S sequencing and the MicroSeq database to identify environmental isolates for our customers, because it has the potential to offer an unambiguous result – ultimately it is the DNA that defines the species. But what exactly …