Research project C5/17/ITM (Research action C5)
BCCM/ITM, in cooperation with its host laboratory, harbours one the largest and most diverse collections of well-documented mycobacteria worldwide. The mycobacterial strains are characterized by phenotypic and/or genotypic tests. The collection comprises strains from human and animal origin from all continents spanning from 1960 to date. The collection has an emphasis on M. tuberculosis complex, M. ulcerans with over 1000 isolates from all endemic countries, and fastidious non-tuberculous mycobacteria like M. genavense, M. haemophilum and M. lepraemurium.
BCCM/ITM continues to incorporate the most interesting strains from the ITM research collection into the BCCM/ITM public collection.
Since June 2013, strains from the TDR TB-Strain Bank have been integrated in BCCM/ITM. This bank was established from 2005 to 2011 with substantial funding of the World Health Organisation, and consists of 229 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates.
BCCM/ITM provides the following services:
- Public and safe deposit
- Distribution of strains
Accession, control, preservation, storage and supply of mycobacteria and related information in the frame of public and safe deposits are ISO 9001:2015 certified.
The control of viability, identity and mycobacterial purity on the batches for release, are performed according to the ISO 15189 standard (BELAC 147MED).
