Chandigarh,<\/p>\n
(\u00a0 Justice News)<\/p>\n
Shri Virendra R. Tiwari, IFS (Retd.), Chairman, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), today visited CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH) Chandigarh. The visit underscored the importance of strengthening linkages between the biodiversity conservation and microbial resource science of which CSIR-IMTECH is an important stakeholder as a National Research laboratory. During the visit, the Chairman of NBA interacted with scientists and researchers and visited the institute\u2019s key facilities, including the Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank (MTCC), Fermentation Division and the Protein Centre.<\/p>\n
This visit by Shri Tiwari marked a significant occasion, being the first time that the top leadership of the NBA has formally visited a repository to directly interact with scientists and students and appreciated its operations. The repository safely maintains tens of thousands of authenticated microorganisms\u2014including bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and actinomycetes\u2014that serve as essential biological fuel for multiple commercial sectors, including agriculture (bio-fertilizers), food processing, industrial enzymes, and pharmaceuticals. A major focus of the visit was a strategic interaction between the NBA leadership and IMTECH scientists regarding the regulatory frameworks governing these resources. The scientific community highlighted the critical need to include microbial type cultures, which comprise a large number of reference standards, in the Normally Traded as Commodities (NTAC) list governed under Section 40 of the Biological Diversity Act.<\/p>\n
It was emphasized during the discussion that over 1300 MTCC reference serves as reference standards for various scientific verification and quality control. Streamlining access to these authenticated materials directly aligns with the Government of India\u2019s vision for ‘Ease of Doing Business’ by reducing administrative procedures for academic researchers and industries. Furthermore, providing unhindered access to these reference cultures is vital to maintaining absolute precision, reproducibility, and maximizing scientific rigour across the country’s research ecosystem. The NBA Chairman highly appreciated the world-class maintenance of the facility and its adherence to global quality standards, acknowledging MTCC’s contribution as a vital organ for national microbial conservation. Dr. Alka Rao, the Director of CSIR-IMTECH, also serves as an official member of the National Biodiversity Authority. The interaction concluded with a shared commitment to further strengthen legal and scientific partnerships to protect and sustainably utilize India’s microscopic bioresources.<\/p>\n
MTCC is India’s premier International Depositary Authority (IDA) under the Budapest Treaty for patent-related biological deposits and was established in 1986. The facility also received major statutory recognition in 2007 when it was formally notified as a Designated National Repository (DNR) under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and contributes in implementation of Biodiversity Act as one of the nodal Voucher deposition agency on behalf of National Biodiversity Authority. CSIR-IMTECH is a national center for excellence in microbial sciences and was established in 1984. IMTECH\u2019s vision and mission are to create translational ecosystem strengthened by fundamental discoveries and to address unmet healthcare and industrial needs with state-of-the-art processes and platforms respectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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