World Federation for Culture Collections

The World Federation for Culture Collections is an international body formed under the umbrella of the International Union of Biological Sciences and a Federation within the International Union of Microbiological Societies. The WFCC operates as a clearing house for information on collections of microbiological specimens. It supports the development, maintenance and establishment of culture collections. The WFCC bylaws were published in 1972 in the International Journal of Systematic Biology (Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 22: 406-409, 1972) and updated several times since.

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One of its main activities is the support of the WFCC-MIRCEN World Data Centre for Microorganisms. There are over 1.3 Million cultures and 525 culture collections under the purview of the WFCC.

The WFCC is governed by an executive board and through a series of committees. Members of the executive board include scientists from England, Japan, Belgium, Japan, The Netherlands, Australia, China, and the United States.

Global Significance

The WFCC is the main international body that coordinates the activities of culture collections around the world. Their activities include lobbying for support for collections, preventing the loss of collections, promoting the use of collections, and coordinating international regulations relating to the shipping and use of biological materials.

Culture collections are important in the preservation of biodiversity.

In 1977 the WIPO established the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure. The WFCC coordinates the International Congress of Culture Collections. The most recent meeting was the 11th and it was held in Goslar Germany in October, 2007. It was hosted by the DSMZ. The WFCC communicates via a regular newsletter.

The WFCC works with the OECD to promote Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centers.