Chandigarh, Sept 5 (PTI) National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) chairman Virendra R Tiwari on Saturday visited the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH) here and interacted with scientists and researchers, officials said.
The visit focused on strengthening linkages between biodiversity conservation and microbial resource science, with CSIR-IMTECH being an important stakeholder as a national research laboratory, according to an official statement.
During the visit, Tiwari visited key facilities of the institute, including the Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank (MTCC), Fermentation Division and Protein Centre.
The visit marked the first formal visit by the top leadership of the NBA to a repository to directly interact with scientists and students and review its operations, the statement said.
The MTCC maintains tens of thousands of authenticated microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, yeasts and actinomycetes, which are used in sectors such as agriculture, food processing, industrial enzymes and pharmaceuticals.
A major focus of the visit was a discussion between NBA officials and IMTECH scientists on the regulatory framework governing these microbial resources.
The scientific community highlighted the need to include microbial type cultures, including reference standards, in the Normally Traded as Commodities (NTAC) list governed under Section 40 of the Biological Diversity Act, the statement said.
It was pointed out that more than 1,300 MTCC reference strains serve as standards for scientific verification and quality control, it said.
The scientists said streamlining access to authenticated microbial materials would reduce administrative procedures for academic researchers and industries and support the government’s “Ease of Doing Business” initiative.
They also emphasised the importance of unhindered access to reference cultures for ensuring reproducibility and scientific rigour in research, the statement said.
Tiwari appreciated the maintenance of the facility and its adherence to global quality standards, acknowledging MTCC’s contribution to microbial conservation in the country, it said.
CSIR-IMTECH Director Dr Alka Rao is also an official member of the National Biodiversity Authority.
The interaction concluded with a commitment to further strengthen legal and scientific partnerships for the protection and sustainable utilisation of India’s microbial resources.
MTCC is an International Depositary Authority under the Budapest Treaty for patent-related biological deposits and was established in 1986.
The facility was notified in 2007 as a Designated National Repository under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and contributes to the implementation of the Act as one of the nodal agencies for voucher deposition on behalf of the National Biodiversity Authority. PTI CHS MDO MDO
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