Culture collections in Canada: perspectives and problems

Abstract

Culture collections are custodians of microbial resources of vital importance to science and society. These facilities are essential in enabling contemporary and future research in basic and applied sciences, and in integrating more than 75 years of records on Canadian microbial diversity. Culture collections often carry on because of dedicated efforts of key individuals. However, they become vulnerable to loss or dismantling when individuals retire or shift research direction in response to program reorganization or loss of funding. The need for conservation of, and long-term access to, microbial resources has long been recognized, and since 1962, six workshops have been held to address concerns about their future. In 1988, a report by the Task Force on the Status of Culture Collections in Canada made several recommendations. Key among these were that (1) specialized collections of strategic importance be supported, (2) an advisory committee be established to include members from different sectors of the scientific community, (3) government agencies allow user fees to be charged for access to collections, which would then be used for operational support, (4) the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada expand the infrastructure program to fund culture collections, and (5) technologies for improved access to vital data on strain history and properties be developed. Follow-up meetings resulted in a recommendation that an expert committee on plant and microbial genetic resources be established under the Canadian Agricultural Research Council. Although these activities resulted in increased recognition and support for some collections, in general, the situation of Canadian collections is no better, and is probably more dire, than in 1988. A national strategy is urgently needed to ensure the long-term care of valuable microbial genetic material.