Microbiome Biobanking: The missing link

Culture collections have a history of supporting microbiological research, primarily through
theaccession, preservation and supply of axenically cultured microorganisms. However, in
nature,microorganisms do not exist on their own; they interact with millions of other
microorganismsin complex systems called microbiomes [1]. Microbiomes provide various
crucialecosystem services and are thus essential to the well-being of plants, animals and the
environment.With developments in technology, microbiome research is changing the way culture
collections and biobanks need to support their user communities. Key requirements for
microbiome biobankinghave been proposed [2, 3], including the development of standards, and
emphasising the need to deposit material and supply cultures, samples and associated data for
futureresearch. Additionally, this will provide a mechanism to protect intellectual property,
and helpresearchers adhere to legislative and regulatory requirements, including the Nagoya
Protocol of the CBD. Integral to the above is the need to preserve environmental samples and
their microbiota. MICROBE project (www.microbeproject.eu) aims to deliver innovative
validated technological approaches that will enable:
• maximal preservation of taxonomic and functional biodiversity in selected microbiome
samples;
• optimal collection and preservation of microbiome samples for defined subsequent analyses;
• targeted isolation of microbiome members from different domains and assembly of
synthetic consortia that retain (and even optimize) the functional diversity of original
microbiomes. Furthermore, MICROBE will provide a comprehensive operational blueprint
for the establishment of microbiome biobanking infrastructure, including technological
requirements, methodological workflows, data pipelines, standards, legal and ethical guidelines,
training plans and businessopportunities. First insights from the project will be provided.