NCIMB news 15 July 2025 Seventy-five years ago, in July 1950, the creation of a National Collection of Industrial Bacteria was announced in Nature. The collection took over the non-pathogenic cultures held by the UK’s National Collection of Type Cultures, and was reported to hold some 350 types. This new collection was expected to increase considerably as the collection became more representative of the needs of industry. The Collection of Industrial Bacteria later merged with the National Collections of Marine, and then Food Bacteria to create the collection that NCIMB …
NCIMB is looking forward to a microbiome-focused summer
We’ve got two exciting microbiome events to look forward to this summer. Our Microbiome Services Manager Julie Mackinnon will be heading to the first networking event of the Microbiome and Infectious Disease (MaID) Innovation Hub on the 8th of July and Brandon Childers is attending the INFORM Hub Summer 2025 event in Reading on 24 June. INFORM was established to unite researchers and industry experts from fields including gut microbiology, food science, nutrition, immune function, mental health and sports science with the aim of delving into the exciting potential of …
A cocktail to keep the elderly well: scientists join forces in hunt for ideal microbial mix to maintain gut health as we age.
NCIMB news 26 Mar 2025 Can “good bacteria” be used to maintain good health as we grow older? Scottish biotech company NCIMB has teamed-up with the pioneering Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen, to address this question in a new research project, funded by Innovate UK. Scientists have been exploring the role of gut bacteria in human health for many years and it has now been established that microbes within our gut not only aid the digestion of food, but also play an important role in protecting us from …
Culture collection orders and delivery in December
As the temperature drops and the nights draw in, we are looking forward to a winter break! Here’s what you need to know if you are planning on ordering any cultures from us over the festive period. Holiday closing dates NCIMB will close for the holidays on 24 Dec 2024, and re-open for business on 3 Jan 2025: Shipping of orders in December If you are ordering to a UK address, the last date for placing an order for delivery before Christmas is Thurs 19 Dec. We cannot guarantee that …
Report recommends “highly ambitious enterprise” to create world-leading UK Microbiome Biobank
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 …
Clostridium XVII conference highlights latest research into industrial application of diverse genus
NCIMB senior scientist Dr Brandon Childers reflects on his attendance at the Clostridium XVII conference, held in China Last month. Clostridium is a genus of strictly anaerobic endospore forming bacteria. Species within this genus are highly diverse in terms of their potential applications – some have been extensively studied for their ability to produce butanol, and the contribution they could make to net zero goals, whilst others have potential use in probiotic products and live biotherapeutics. With so much industrial potential, it’s no surprise that the National Collection of Industrial, …