Abstract :
Significance of microorganisms is ever increasing and in today’s scenario the wheel of advanced biotechnologies is revolving around microbes to recapture the ecological balance lost in the past few decades. In Pakistan, however, we lack sufficiently reliable biological data to start with and our knowledge of functional importance of the indigenous microbiota is highly fragmentary. Cataloging and preserving our rich flora is therefore of extreme importance for regional and national resource management, bioprospecting and fundamental scientific research. Some institutes have their own collection but status of preservation is not satisfactory. The First Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan (FCBP) established in 2003 at Punjab University, is an initiative meeting the research needs with a focus on particular biological groups and on generation of authentic data archives and maintenance of live specimens. FCBP has conserved over 800 species of fungi, over 60 of bacteria and 10 of yeast. FCBP is the only microbial germplasm conservation centre in Pakistan, known internationally and registered with international data collection centres like WDCM, WFCC and MIRCEN. Through HEC sponsorship of project (Rs. 34.4M) it is going to be developed on international standards. The FCBP is offering services in terms of provision of fungal and bacterial cultures, identification services and storage facility to researchers and students in the field of biological and agricultural sciences.
