Identification & Characterization
NCMR offers services related to extensive characterisation of bacteria and fungi using variety of tools and techniques.
- 16S/18S rRNA gene sequencing (~ 700 bp)
- 16S/18S rRNA genesequencing (~1200bp)
- Phylogenetic Tree
- FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) analysis
- Analysis of Polar Lipids
- G+C mol% (Tm)
- DNA – DNA Hybridization
- MALDI-TOF
- Phenotypic characterization
- Scanning Electron Microscopy
- Conventional
- Analytical Profile Index (API)
- API 20 NE
- API 20 E
- API 50 CH
- API ZYM
- BIOLOG system (oxidation pattern of 95 substrates)
- Vitek
Deposit of Microorganisms
NCMR welcomes deposit of microorganisms which are important for scientific and educational purposes as well as to fulfill mandatory deposit requirement for patent procedures. At present NCMR accepts bacteria, fungi and plasmids belonging to HAZARD GROUP 1 and 2 only. After checking purity, viability and identity, each culture is preserved by methods known to be good for long term preservation. NCMR has three types of deposit service: General Deposit, Safe Deposit and IDA Deposit under the Budapest Treaty.
- General deposit (public access)
- Deposit under the Budapest Treaty (IDA)
- Safe deposit (restricted access)
Requirements from users:
Pure microbial cultures on Petri plates, slant or stab with completed form for deposit, two duly signed Material Transfer Agreement (MTA; to be introduced soon; downloadable from NCMR website). Prompt return of the duly signed Depositor’s check form. There is no fee for general deposit.
Authentication and reporting:
After taxonomic authentication, a sample of the preserved culture is sent to the depositor to ensure that the microorganism preserved at NCMR conforms to the original. Accession certificate is issued by NCMR only after receiving duly signed Depositor’s check form. One copy of the MTA signed by NCMR will also be sent to the depositor.
Time taken for analysis:
For general deposit it normally takes 20 to 25 working days to complete authentication and cryopreservation processes. However, it may take a little longer for slow growing organisms. Accession certificate is issued day after receiving duly signed Depositor’s check form.
Contact: Service coordinator ([email protected])
Supply of Cultures
[ Cultures are available for non commercial (research and quality control) use only. For commercial use, please contact service co-ordinator at [email protected] ]
National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR) possesses a good number of pure and authentic microbial cultures (bacteria, archaea and fungi) in its collection. All NCMR cultures are authenticated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These cultures are useful for research and development, teaching and quality control purposes. NCMR supplies cultures as agar stabs (active culture) or lyophilized vials (freeze dried ampoules) depending on the request from the user. Cultures are sent by speed post/ courier only after the receipt of the payment.
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Cultures listed in NCMR catalogue (hard copy/electronic) are available for teaching and research purposes.
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NCMR supplies cultures bearing its own accession numbers. It does not supply cultures having acronym and accession numbers of other culture collection(s). However, NCMR may have equivalent cultures (prepared from cultures received from other culture collections and that have been given NCMR accession numbers). Equivalent cultures may not be identical to the original ones because genetic drift may occur.
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Request for supply of culture(s) should be sent on the NCMR culture order form mentioning the name and NCMR accession number of the microorganism(s).
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REQUESTS FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS from investigators working outside India should be accompanied with proper approval obtained a priori from the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Government of India. Such approval may be obtained from NBA by submitting Form1 along with requisite fees to NBA as mentioned here. While NCMR is not responsible for obtaining these approvals for you, it may assist you in submitting the documentation to NBA.
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Appropriate fee in the form of a DD in the name of Director, NCCS, payable at Pune must accompany the culture order form.
- Students/project assistants/research associates should get their request for cultures endorsed by guide/principal investigator or by Head of the Department.
- For hazardous microorganisms, one needs to provide evidence that the appropriate facility is available to work with such organisms and he/she has the requisite permission from the institute to work on such organisms.
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A request for supply of cultures from outside India has to provide an import permit for the procurement. Such a request may need clearance from the appropriate authority in India (HMSC) before cultures can be sent.
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The cultures are generally dispatched by registered mail within two weeks after receiving a request.
- Cultures are not supplied to private addresses.
Requirements from users:
Request for cultures addressed to the Service Co-ordinator, NCMR, should be sent on duly filled Request form for Purchase of cultures (Form 008) giving NCMR accession number(s) and name of the organism along with required fee (online transfer to NCCS bank account or DD in favour of Director, NCCS) and two copies of duly signed Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). Please indicate correct address to which cultures should be dispatched. Upon receipt of the cultures, user must inform NCMR of any concerns related to the purity, authenticity or viability of cultures within 30 days from the date of delivery of the shipment. NCMR will not entertain any such requests beyond this time frame.
Requests for purchase of cultures from private addresses will not be accepted.
Time taken for analysis:
For Active Cultures: 07 to 20 working days depending on incubation time required for growth of the culture(s).
Freeze dried ampoules: 3 to 4 working days. In case the ampoules are not in stock, the timeline will extend by another 7-20 working days.
One copy of the MTA signed by NCMR will be sent along with the culture.
Terms and conditions for culture supply:
- Recipients of cultures will not pass on such cultures as NCMR cultures to others.
- All culture should be handled carefully taking proper and established safety precautions.
- NCMR is not responsible explicit or implicit, for misuse or improper handling of cultures received from NCMR.
- Cultures should be revived /subcultured on recommended medium and conditions soon after receiving them.
- Purity, authenticity and viability of cultures are carefully examined by NCMR staff. Complaints about the cultures will not be entertained after one month of dispatch from NCMR.
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NCMR checks taxonomic authenticity (and markers of genetic stocks) of the cultures but not the other associated properties (like production of metabolites, degradation of specific compounds etc.). These properties were mentioned by the depositor of the culture(s). NCMR does not guarantee that these properties are retained by the culture(s).
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NCMR does not grant license, expressed or implied, for any commercial use of cultures received from it. A recipient of NCMR culture(s) are responsible for ensuring that the rights of the depositor are not violated by use of such culture(s).
- By accepting cultures from NCMR it is implied that the recipient agrees to the terms and conditions of supply.
Contact: Service coordinator ([email protected])
For more information contact: Dr. Reema Chaudhary ([email protected])
Genome and Metagenome Sequencing Service
- Microbial Genome Sequencing (Currently Unavailable).
- Amplicon Sequencing for less than 50 Samples (16S rRNA or ITS)
- Amplicon Sequencing for more than 50 Samples (16S rRNA or ITS)
Targeted metagenomics (amplicon) and whole genome (Bacteria, Archaea and Virus) sequencing and bioinformatics services
Next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms involve high-throughput sequencing technologies that have, over time, become affordable enabling researchers to study a wide variety of biological systems at a level never before possible. While NCMR houses both the MiSeq System from Illumina® as well as the Ion PGM™ System from ThermoFisher®, our NGS services are offered for the MiSeq System which uses reversible-terminator sequencing-by-synthesis technology to provide end-to-end sequencing solutions. The instrument is one of the smallest benchtop sequencers that can perform onboard cluster generation, amplification, genomic DNA sequencing, and data analysis, including base calling, alignment and variant calling. With the power of massive parallel deep sequencing, MiSeq system is the ideal platform for rapid and cost-effective microbial genome sequencing and targeted metagenomics.
NCMR offers phylogenomics service for novel taxa identification, in line, with the new proposal for genome-based microbial taxonomy. Using whole-genome sequencing, novel species identification becomes more robust and streamlined through in silico calculation of Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA Hybridization (DDH). We are currently offering prokaryotic and viral whole-genome sequencing. NCMR is also offering targeted metagenomics using standardized library preparation protocols for amplicon sequencing of prokaryotic rRNA gene as well as fungal ITS. We use 2x250 bp paired-end chemistry and provide very good quality sequence reads (>Q30) as well as related downstream bioinformatics analyses at an additional cost.
Requirements from users:
For genome sequencing
gDNA quality and quantity:
- 1-2 µg or 50 µl (Conc. 50-100 ng/µl) of DNA dissolved in autoclaved nuclease free water.
- high quality intact double stranded genomic DNA, free from RNA contamination.
- gDNA should have an absorbance ratio (A260/280) of 1.8-2.0.
- gDNA should have an absorbance ratio (A260/230) of 1.8-2.0.
- Sample should be shipped in cool pack.
For targeted metagenomics (amplicon) sequencing
gDNA quality and quantity:
- 500 ng (minimum 20 ng/ µl conc.) of community DNA is required.
- Absorbance ratio (A260/280) of 1.8-2.0.
- Sample should be shipped in cool pack.
Data analysis and reporting:
For whole genome and targeted metagenome (amplicon) sequencing:
Sequencing will be carried out on Illumina Miseq platforms with 2 x 250 bp v2 chemistry. The report will contain:
- Miseq run information
- ds DNA concentration estimation using qubit fluorometer
- Library quality check using TapeStation
- Raw data information (number of reads generated and quality of the reads, GC content, etc.)
For bioinformatics analysis for publishing novel taxa:
Comprehensive report will be generated to provide information about methods and results. High quality figures for publication and raw data for genome submission will be provided along with the report. This service includes:
- Adapter removal and read length profile
- Read filtration and preprocessing
- De novo assembly of high-quality reads
- Genome statistics: Total no of contigs, N50, coding sequences, rRNAs, tRNAs, Genome size, GC content, Taxonomic identification using extracted 16S rRNA gene sequence, ANI and dDDH methods
- Phylogenomic tree for closely related species
For advanced bioinformatics analysis of prokaryotic whole genome:
Comprehensive report will be generated to provide information about methods and results. High quality figures for publication and raw data for genome submission will be provided along with the report. This service includes:
- Standard analysis as above for publishing novel taxa.
- Genome annotation using KEGG/COG and automated pipelines suchas RAST and PATRIC.
- Identification of important genomic features such as antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors, CRISPRs, mobile genetic elements, signal peptides and transmembrane domains.
- Comparative genome analysis with closely related species (based on there commendation from the customer), Pan genome analysis to findcore, accessory and unique genes.
For standard bioinformatics analysis of amplicon sequence data:
Comprehensive report will be provided including publication quality figures. Raw data and post processing data (biom/asv files, taxa abundance, etc) will be provided. This service includes:
- Fastqc report of sequencing run
- Primer and adapter trimming
- Filtering of low-quality reads
- Assembly of pair end reads
- Sequence statistics
- Removal of chimeric sequences
- OTU clustering and assignment (open/closed/denovo/dada2)
- Taxonomic assignment (Greengenes/SILVA/EZTaxon)
- Compositional barchart (Richness and abundance)
- Alpha diversity
- Beta diversity
For advanced bioinformatics analysis of amplicon sequence data:
Comprehensive report will be provided including publication quality figures. Raw data and post processing data (biom/asv files, taxa abundance, etc) will be provided. This service includes:
- Standard analysis as above for amplicon sequence data
- Correlation plots, core microbiome analysis, heatmaps, biomarker analysis using LEfSe
- Imputed metagenomics for prediction of genes and pathways
- Statistical analysis using metadata parameters provided by the customer
- Two/Three user specified figures using custom R scripts
Time taken for analysis:
3-4 weeks after arrival of your samples and additional 2-3 weeks for bioinformatics analysis. The timeline may extend in certain situations.
Contact:
Service coordinator ([email protected])
For more information contact:
Dr. Dhiraj Dhotre ([email protected])
Microbial Solutions of Industry
National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR) is offering different customized services based on microbiological testing. We provide accurate and reliable analysis to test and validate product quality and detect objectionable microbial contaminants in various products. We can estimate the total viable count from diverse samples, like water, food, etc. The centre has trained and experienced human resources to provide a wide variety of microbial solutions, including quality testing of finished products like bio-fertilizers, probiotics, and other related microbial preparations. Detection and diagnosis of microorganisms using modern tools like DNA sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS are the unique expertise of this centre. We also provide solutions for microbiological Environmental Monitoring (EM) to ensure that the products, facilities, and water meet safety and efficacy standards for public health.
For more information contact: [email protected]
Fee Structure*
*For Supply of Cultures additional GST will be applicable @ 12% (including 6% CGST+ 6% SGST)
*For all other services GST will be applicable @ 18% (including 9% CGST+ 9% SGST)
| Description and Scope of Service | Fee (INR ₹) | Forms to Submit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic (per sample) | Industry (per sample) | ||
| Deposit Services | |||
| A) General Deposit for Public Access | |||
| 1. Deposit of Bacteria/Archaea/Fungi/Plasmid | Form 002 | ||
| 2. Deposit of Genetically Modified Microorganisms | Form 004 | ||
| 3. Deposit of Antimicrobial Resistant Isolates | Form 017 | ||
| 4. Deposit of DNA/Proteins | Contact Us | ||
| 5. Deposit in Bulk (More than 50 Cultures) | |||
| B) Patent Deposit at IDA under Budapest Treaty | |||
| 1. Deposit of Bacteria, fungi, yeast and plasmids belonging to Hazard Group 1 and 2 only | |||
| (a) Storage under rule 12.1 (a)(i) | 20,000.00 | 20,000.00 | Form BP/1 |
| (b) Conversion of deposit | 20,000.00 | 20,000.00 | |
| (c) Extension of duration of storage beyond that provided by Rule 9 (per year) | 2,000.00 | 2,000.00 | |
| (d) Issue of viability statement on the basis of test | 3,000.00 | 3,000.00 | |
| (e) Issue of viability statement on the basis of last viability test | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | |
| (f) Furnishing of samples | 3,000.00 | 3,000.00 | |
| (g) Communication of information under Rule 7.6 | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | |
| (h) Attestation referred to in Rule 8.2 | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | |
| 2. Deposit of Cell lines | 50,000.00 | 50,000.00 | Form BP/1 |
| C) Safe Deposit | |||
| 1. Deposit of Bacteria, fungi, yeast and plasmids belonging to Hazard Group 1 and 2 only | 10,000.00 | 10,000.00 | Form 009 |
| Rs. 10,000/- for the first year only (including Rs. 5000/- for ten freeze-dried ampoules). Fee for subsequent years is Rs. 5000/- per annum. | |||
| Supply of Cultures † (Additional GST @ 12% including 6% CGST+ 6% SGST) † Additional 200/- as shipping and Handling Charges. REQUESTS FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS from investigators working outside India will be charged at actual and follow a different procedure as mentioned here |
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| 1. Freeze dried culture (ampoules) | 1,200.00 | 2,400.00 | Form 008 |
| 2. Active cultures on slants/stab | 1,800.00 | 3,500.00 | |
| Identification and Characterization Services | |||
| A) Identification by rRNA/ITS DNA sequencing | |||
| 1. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene (~700 bp) | 1,500.00 | 3,000.00 | Form 001 |
| 2. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene (~1200 bp) | 2,100.00 | 4,200.00 | |
| 3. Sequencing of 18S rRNA gene /ITS/D1-D2 (~700bp) | 1,700.00 | 3,400.00 | |
| 4. Sequencing of 18S rRNA gene (~1200 bp) | 2,600.00 | 5,200.00 | |
| B) Molecular & Chemotaxonomic Characterization | |||
| 1. DNA G+C Content (mol%, melting temperature based) | 8,000.00 | 16,000.00 | Form 006 |
| 2. DNA-DNA Hybridisation (per pair) | 17,000.00 | 33,000.00 | Form 007 |
| 3. MALDI-TOF MS based biotyping | 550.00 | 1,100.00 | Form 005 |
| 4. Whole-cell Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) analysis by GC | 9,000.00 | 18,000.00 | Form 010 |
| 5. Analysis of Polar Lipids | 7,000.00 | 14,000.00 | Form 012 |
| 6. Phylogenetic Analysis | 2,500.00 | 4,500.00 | Form 001 |
| C) Phenotypic Characterisation | |||
| 1. Scanning Electron Microscopy | 2,000.00 | 4,000.00 | Form 022 |
| 2. Conventional Characterization | |||
| (a) Bacteria | 4,000.00 | 8,000.00 | Form 011 |
| (b) Mycelial fungi | Currently Unavailable | ||
| (c) Yeasts (Morphological & API-AUX C or API Candida) | |||
| 3. Analytical Profile Index (API)-based Phenotypic charaterization of Bacteria | |||
| (a) API 20 NE | 2,500.00 | 5,000.00 | Form 015 |
| (b) API 20 E | 2,100.00 | 4,200.00 | |
| (c) API 50 CH | 4,500.00 | 9,000.00 | |
| (d) API 50 CHL | 4,500.00 | 9,000.00 | |
| (e) API ZYM | 2,500.00 | 5,000.00 | |
| (f) API 20 STAPH | 2,500.00 | 2,000.00 | |
| (g) API 20 STREP | 2,500.00 | 5,000.00 | |
| (h) API Coryne | 2,000.00 | 4,000.00 | |
| 4. BIOLOG-based Phenotypic charaterization | |||
| (a) BIOLOG GENIII Gram Positive/Negative | 3,200.00 | 6,400.00 | Form 016 |
| (b) BIOLOG Fungi | 3,600.00 | 7,200.00 | |
| (c) BIOLOG Yeast | 3,100.00 | 6,200.00 | |
| (d) BIOLOG Anaerobic Bacteria | 3,500.00 | 5,000.00 | |
| (e) Community Level Physiological Profile (CLPP) using BIOLOG ECO Plate | 5,500.00 | 11,000.00 | Form 018 |
| (f) CLPP using BIOLOG ECO Plate with analysis of results | 7,000.00 | 14,000.00 | |
| 5. VITEK-based Phenotypic charaterization | |||
| (a) VITEK using GP/GN/YST/BCLcards | 1,200.00 | 2,400.00 | Form 021 |
| (b) VITEK using ANC/CBC cards | 1,700.00 | 3,400.00 | |
| (c) VITEK-based Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) | 1,400.00 | 2,800.00 | Form 020 |
| D) Identification by Sequencing + Conventional Phenotyping | |||
| 1. Bacteria (~700 bp Sequence + Phenotypic) | 5,500.00 | 11,000.00 | Fill Form 001 and Form 011 |
| 2. Bacteria (~1200 bp Sequence + Phenotypic) | 6,100.00 | 12,200.00 | |
| 3. Mycelial fungi (~700 bp Sequence + Phenotypic) | Currently Unavailable | ||
| 4. Yeasts (~700 bp Sequence + Phenotypic) | |||
| Genome and Metagenome Sequencing Service (on NGS Platform) | |||
| 1. Microbial Genome Sequencing | 30,000.00 | 60,000.00 | Form 019 |
| 2. Microbial Genome Sequencing + Bioinformatics for novel taxa | Currently Unavailable | ||
| 3. Microbial Genome Sequencing + Advanced bioinformatics | |||
| 4. Amplicon Sequencing for less than 50 Samples (16S rRNA or ITS) | 10,000.00 | 20,000.00 | Form 019 |
| 5. Amplicon Sequencing for more than 50 Samples (16S rRNA or ITS) | 8,500.00 | 17,000.00 | |
| 6. Standard bioinformatics analyses of amplicon data (rRNA or ITS) | Currently Unavailable | ||
| 7. Advanced bioinformatics analyses of amplicon data (rRNA or ITS) | |||
| Customized Services | |||
| A) Purification of Microbial Cultures | |||
| 1. Bacterial culture | 5,000.00 | 10,000.00 | Contact Us |
| 2. Fungal culture | >Currently Unavailable | ||
| B) Freeze-drying of Microbial Cultures | |||
| 1. Batch of 10 freeze-dried ampoules per culture | 11,000.00 | 22,000.00 | Form 014 |
| 2. Bulk Freeze-drying (upto 50 g pelleted microbial culture, no ampoules) | 4,000.00 | 8,000.00 | Contact Us |
| C) Cycle Sequencing of PCR Products | |||
| 1. Purified PCR products (~700 bp) | 700.00 | 1,400.00 | Contact Us |
| 2. Un-purified PCR Products (~700 bp) | 1,200.00 | 2,400.00 | |
| D) Microbial Testing of Food Products | |||
| 1. All food categories except those mentioned at serial No. 2(a) and 2(b) below. | Currently Unavailable | ||
| 2. (a) Foods for Infant Nutrition | |||
| I. Infant Milk Food | |||
| II. Infant Formula | |||
| III. Milk cereal based. Complementary Foods | |||
| IV. Processed cereal based complementary Foods | |||
| (b) Packaged drinking water and Mineral Water | |||
| E) Other Services | |||
| 1. Genomic DNA extraction (~50 µg) | 4,000.00 | 8,000.00 | Form 013 |
| 2. MALDI-TOF MS (MSP creation) | 1,500.00 | 3,000.00 | Contact Us |
| 3. Phytoplasma testing PCR | 2,600.00 | 5,200.00 | Contact Us |
Payment details
For Supply of Cultures additional GST will be applicable @ 12% and for all other services GST will be applicable at 18%
GST Number - 27AAATN0848B1ZW
SAC Code - 998393
† Additional 200/- as shipping and Handling Charges. REQUESTS FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS from investigators working outside India will be charged at actual and follow a different procedure as mentioned here.
Demand Draft should be drawn in favour of 'The Director,NCCS, Pune', payable at Pune.
Electronic money transfer to the below-mentioned account:
Account Name: Director, NCCS
Name of the Bank: Bank of India
Branch Address: Pashan Road, Plot No. 5, Bhuvaneshwar Co. Op. Society, ‘Ashirwad’, Opp. Abhimanshri Society, Pashan Road, Pune 411008
Account No.: 051610110004912
IFSC Code: BKID0000516
Swift Code: 998393
Steps for Submitting Samples to NCMR
- Generate Quotation here (Required)
Select category (Academic / Non-academic) → Select Services → Enter details → Generate PDF - Make Payment (Online/Demand Draft)
- Fill Service Forms here
Enter Quotation number (e.g. NCMR/20/08/10250) → Fill Forms → Upload Additional Documents → Enter Payment Details → Generate PDF → Print PDF forms - Send Duly Signed Forms along with the Service Sample to:
The Service Coordinator,
National Centre for Microbial Resource(NCMR), National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS)
Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus
Ganeshkhind Road, Pune, Maharashtra - 411007, INDIA
Supply of Cultures
National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR) possesses a good number of pure and authentic microbial cultures (bacteria, archaea and fungi) in its collection. All NCMR cultures are authenticated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These cultures are useful for research and development, teaching and quality control purposes. NCMR supplies cultures as agar stabs (active culture) or lyophilized vials (freeze dried ampoules) depending on the request from the user. Cultures are sent by speed post/ courier only after the receipt of the payment.
Requirements from users:
Request for cultures addressed to the Service Co-ordinator, NCMR, should be sent on duly filled Request form for Purchase of cultures (Form 008) giving NCMR accession number(s) and name of the organism along with required fee (online transfer to NCCS bank account or DD in favour of Director, NCCS) and two copies of duly signed Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). Please indicate correct address to which cultures should be dispatched. Upon receipt of the cultures, user must inform NCMR of any concerns related to the purity, authenticity or viability of cultures within 30 days from the date of delivery of the shipment. NCMR will not entertain any such requests beyond this time frame.
Requests for purchase of cultures from private addresses will not be accepted.
Time taken for analysis:
For Active Cultures: 07 to 20 working days depending on incubation time required for growth of the culture(s).
Freeze dried ampoules: 3 to 4 working days. In case the ampoules are not in stock, the timeline will extend by another 7-20 working days.
One copy of the MTA signed by NCMR will be sent along with the culture.
Contact: Service coordinator ([email protected])
For more information contact: Dr. Mahesh Chavadar ([email protected])
General Deposit (public access)
Cultures deposited under this category are accessible to public for teaching and/or scientific research and no restriction is imposed. A prospective depositor should contact the Service Coordinator/Curator in advance about acceptability of cultures to be sent for deposit. NCMR reserves the right to reject a request for deposit of culture. Unidentified cultures are not accepted for deposit under this category. Once accepted and accessioned by NCMR, a culture cannot be withdrawn from the collection. There is no fee for such deposits.
Please contact service co-ordinator ([email protected]) in advance for more than 10 deposits at a time.
Steps involved in deposit process (in the public access collection)
International Depositary Authority (IDA)
Deposit under The Budapest Treaty on International Recognition of Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent procedure
Microorganisms deposited in an IDA fulfil the requirement of deposit for the purposes of patent procedures in all states signatory to the Budapest Treaty. As of now there are 73 states who signed the Budapest Treaty and there are 39 IDAs in 22 countries in the world. NCMR is the second IDA in India. All IDAs operate as per Rules and Regulations of the Budapest Treaty. Advantage of deposit of microorganisms in an IDA is that almost similar forms are used and uniform procedures are followed in dealing with such deposits. Confidentiality and security of such deposits are maintained by NCMR. These microorganisms are not listed in NCMR catalogue (printed or electronic). NCMR is obliged to keep cultures deposited under IDA for the period of 30 years from the date of deposit. NCMR will be happy to provide advice to the depositors on matters related to such deposits. Detailed guidelines for a depositor are available at WIPO website. Please contact the curator well in advance before sending cultures for deposit in an IDA.
Kinds of Microorganisms that May Be Deposited
- The NCMR will at present accept bacteria, fungi, yeasts and plasmids in a host and/or as isolated DNA preparations belonging to Hazards Group 1 and 2 as per classification of the Indian Authority.
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Genetically manipulated microorganisms and isolated DNA will be accepted if they can be processed in BSL-1 or BSL-2 facility or conform to Group 1 or 2 organisms.
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The NCMR reserves the right to refuse to accept a deposit if, in its view, the deposit may be an unacceptable hazard or the NCMR may not be in a position to process it. Deposit of bacteria and fungi pathogenic to plants and animals will be accepted from other countries only if cleared by the appropriate authority in India.
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The deposited material will generally be preserved by freeze-drying or storage in liquid nitrogen or by other method(s) of long-term preservation.
- Form and Quantity
Materials for deposit should be pure (uncontaminated) and should be sent in the following form:- Bacteria and fungi (including yeasts): two active cultures on slants/stabs
- Plasmids 5 x 20 micrograms of isolated and purified DNA preparations.
- Suitable host of the plasmid and the host harbouring the plasmid also needs to be deposited in active form (2 slants). The deposit should be accompanied by appropriate forms duly completed by the depositor. These forms can be obtained from the NCMR. Separate forms need to be used for bacteria, fungi (including yeasts) and plasmids.
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A fee for storage (Rule 12.1(a) (I) of the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty) must be paid for each deposit.
- Time Required for Viability Testing
The NCMR will test viability as quickly as possible. Since growth rate of microorganisms vary the time required for viability testing for different microorganisms may accordingly vary. The average time that will be required for viability testing is indicated below:
Bacteria, yeast and plasmids : 4 days to 4 weeks*
Fungi : 7 days to 4 weeks*
*Depends on the growth rate of the culture. - Depositor Checks and Renewal of Stocks
The NCMR may prepare, as and when it finds necessary, new batch(es) of glycerol stocks, lyophilized and frozen (in liquid nitrogen) culture by subculturing available materials. The NCMR will send samples of the new batch and the depositor is required to check and confirm authenticity of the preserved materials.
- General
Language. The language of communication of the NCMR and of the forms will be English. Communication in Hindi is also acceptable. However, in case of any dispute, the English version will prevail.
Contract. NCMR does not enter into any written contract with the depositor defining the liabilities of either party, but by signing the NCMR deposit form the depositor accepts general terms and conditions and surrenders any right to withdraw his deposit during the required storage period. He also accepts that the organism will be distributed according to the relevant patent requirement.
Import and/or Quarantine Regulations. Cultures of microorganisms from outside India may require import clearance and/or be subjected to quarantine regulations. The depositor from outside India should communicate with the NCMR regarding such deposits before dispatching cultures. - Making the Original Deposit
Requirements to Be Met by the Depositor. A depositor will be required to send a complete BP/1 form which is the accession for a deposit under the Budapest Treaty. For amendments to the scientific description or taxonomic designation a depositor will be required to send a completed BP/7 form.
Official Notifications to the Depositor. The receipt and viability statement will be issued in English on the mandatory “international forms” BP/4 and BP/9, respectively. The attestation of receipt of an amendment to the scientific description or taxonomic designation will be issued on BP/8 form. The notification of furnishing a sample to third parties will be issued on BP/14 form.
Unofficial Notifications to the Depositor. If requested, the NCMR may communicate the date of deposit and accession number before the official receipt is issued only after the viability test is completed and a positive result is obtained.
Supply of Information to a Patent Agent. If required by the depositor, the NCMR will send copies of the receipt and viability statement to both the depositor and his/her patent agent. - Furnishing of Sample
- Requests for Samples
The NCMR will follow procedure as provisions of the Budapest Treaty for furnishing samples to third parties. For proof of entitlement BP/12 form and for request BP/13 form will be used in furnishing samples. For hazardous microorganisms the requesting party has to provide evidence that proper facility for handling such microorganisms is available and he/she has the requisite permission to work on such organisms.
A requesting party from outside India also has to provide an import permit if it is required for that country.
The NCMR will furnish samples prepared by it from the deposited sample(s). - Notification of the Depositor
A depositor will be notified on BP/14 form when samples of their deposit have been furnished to third parties. - Cataloguing of Budapest Treaty Deposits
Materials deposited under the Budapest Treaty will not be published in the NCMR catalogue (printed or electronic) or displayed on the internet.
- Requests for Samples
| #Sr. No. | (Bacteria, fungi, yeast and plasmids Belonging to Hazard Group 1 and 2 only) | Indian Rupees |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Storage under rule 12.1 (a)(i) | 20,000 |
| 2. | Conversion of deposit | 20,000 |
| 3. | Extension of duration of storage beyond that provided by Rule 9 (per year) | 2,000 |
| 4. | Issue of viability statement on the basis of test | 3,000 |
| 5. | Issue of viability statement on the basis of last viability test | 1,000 |
| 6. | Furnishing of samples | 3,000 |
| 7. | Communication of information under Rule 7.6 | 1,000 |
| 8. | Attestation referred to in Rule 8.2 | 1,000 |
STEPS INVOLVED IN THE DEPOSIT in IDA under the Budapest Treaty
- Prospective depositor contacts NCMR by email/post about the acceptability of the culture(s) before sending.
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Once NCMR agrees to accept the microorganism(s) it sends Form BP/1 (for original deposit) by email or by post. The depositor sends the culture(s) along with the properly completed Form BP/1 and the required fee.
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Proper care should be taken in packing the culture tubes (slant or stab) so that they are not damaged during transit. This is necessary to ensure safety of persons who may come in contact of the material. Culture tubes received in damaged condition are not processed by NCMR.
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The cultures are processed (usually within two working days) for checking viability and purity. While it takes around 8-10 weeks for the complete process. However complete process time also depends on the growth rate of the culture.
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If the culture is not pure or non-viable, the depositor is informed immediately.
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Pure and viable cultures are assigned an accession number by NCMR and preserved in glycerol at -70 °C, in liquid nitrogen and/or by freeze-drying.
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NCMR may at this stage send on request from the depositor an unofficial notification about NCMR accession number.
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Two ampoules of freezedried cultures are sent to the depositor. The depositor opens one ampoule and checks if the preserved material represents the original deposit. He/She sends depositor’s confirmation form.
Safe deposit (restricted access)
Confidentiality and security is maintained in processing such cultures. These cultures are not listed in the catalogue. There is an annual fee for such deposits. Depositor needs to sign an agreement with NCMR for making such a deposit. These cultures can be accessed only by the depositor on payment of required fee. Rs. 10,000/- for the first year only (including Rs. 5000/- for ten freeze-dried ampoules). Fee for subsequent years is Rs. 5000/- per annum. Steps involved in safe deposit are basically the same as for general deposit except that two ampoules of freeze dried cultures are sent to the depositor. Depositor should open one ampoule and confirms if the preserved culture represent the original deposit. NCMR accession number is communicated upon receiving depositor’s confirmation. The depositor may request viability statement by paying required fee.