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Some
information about the Australian Collection of Microorganisms... |
The
Australian Collection of Microorganisms (ACM) is a microbial
resource developed over 30 years of research and teaching
in systematic and applied bacteriology, and in biotechnology.
Since 1972 the
Collection has operated a service supplying cultures to over
400 laboratories throughout Australia in science, industry
and education. This service is dependent on the income
received
from the sale of cultures and the identification of cultures.
The ACM contains the most diverse collection of bacteria in
Australia, and also minor significant collections of yeasts
and filamentous fungi. The ACM holdings include cultures for
use in research, education and taxonomy, as well as cultures
required for quality assurance and validation of standard
methods of analysis in industry and diagnostic and testing
laboratories. A complete set of cultures designated in the
Australian Standard methods for microbiological analysis is
available as well as many others designated in international
standard methods. The collection includes an extensive range
of bacterial taxonomic type cultures and is enriched with
cultures of Australian bacterial diversity.
The collection acts as a centre of expertise on culture collections
of microorganisms, and related areas including culture collection
management, the preservation of cultures, taxonomy and identification,
and bioinformatic data on the location of cultures, importation,
quarantine, and packaging and shipping regulations.
The objectives of the ACM are:
- To
collect, maintain and preserve microbial cultures of relevance
to bacterial diversity and taxonomy for use in research,
education, applied microbiology and biotechnology, and
in diagnostic and testing laboratories in industry, and
in human, animal and plant health.
- To
supply microbiologists and other scientists with a range
of reference cultures required for research, education,
biotechnology, and diagnostic microbiology.
- To
study the bacterial diversity, taxonomy and ecology of
Australasian and Pacific-region environments.
- To
operate a modern, rapid, and accurate bacterial identification
service for science and industry.
- To
operate an information service and provide advice to Australian
microbiologists on microbial cultures, their growth, taxonomy,
identification, and location in Australia and internationally.
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