Enabling Benefits

The Australian Microbial Resources Research Network will draw together under one umbrella high quality researchers working in a range of disciplines including Microbial Diversity, Taxonomy, Evolution and Genomics, Ecology, Identification, Culture Collections, Bioinformatics, Biodiscovery and Biotechnology to accelerate the discovery and utilisation of Australia's unique microbial resources. This initiative will rectify the current fragmented approach and provide a national focus. It will provide an impetus to Australian research and development by initiating a process to overcome current deficiencies in infrastructure causing major difficulties for researchers to gain access to microbial cultures and information on these cultures. The Network will thus be an enabling initiative which will bring together existing resources, while providing a framework for future development and funding initiatives. It will provide a means to encourage researchers to accession valuable cultures in collections for future research and utilisation, as well as making available control cultures used in standard methods of analysis. Thus the Network will establish essential infrastructure to meet national strategic needs in the life sciences, biotechnology, industry, and educational sectors. It will commence a process to overcome a long recognised deficiency in Australian scientific infrastructure not addressed by previous programs.