HOW TO USE THE HOMEPAGES
- Using “Strain list ( Systematic index & Alphabetical index )” you can find the strain(s) maintained in the NIES-Collection.
- In “Search strain data” page, you can search the strains you want to know by entering several items; e.g. strain number, scientific name, state of strain, characteristics, size, etc.
- In the Strain data, information such as strain number, scientific name, collection site, culture conditions, gene information, characteristics, references, etc. appears.
- Online order: We accept order online and by regular mail. But, even if you order online, please send the original copy (with your signature and date) of the “Ordering form and agreement for distribution” to the NIES-Collection. We will ship the strains ordered only after we receive the original copy of the document.
- Deposit of strains: We accept deposit of important strains. Please refer “How to deposit” for detailed information.
- Documents for order and deposit are downloaded from “Download.”
- Images: you can enjoy images of various strains maintained in the NIES-Collection in “Strain images,” as well as in individual Strain Data. They are available to private use for academic and educational purpose, provided the conditions in the “COPYRIGHT NOTICE” below are fulfilled. Otherwise, please refer the “COPYRIGHT NOTICE” below.
- In the “Distribution and phylogeny” page, you can see <Tree of Life> that shows a comprehensive view of phylogenetic relationships of life, and phylogenetic trees and distribution maps of particular species maintained in the NIES-Collection.
- Recipes and lists of algal media are shown in “Culturing information” and “Culture media” pages. Please prepare appropriate media before receipt of the strain.
- In “What’s new” page, new accessions and update will appear.
- In “Topics” page, genome information and other topics on the NIES strains appear.
- In “NBRP-Algae” , activities of the National BioResource Project (NBRP) Algae appear. NBRP is a comprehensive project to establish core collections of individual organisms in Japan; which include important research materials such as mice, rats, drosophilae, rice, wheat, yeasts, etc. as well as algae, funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.
- In “Preservation of endangered algae”, activities of ex situ conservation of endangered algae in Japan appear. These activities have been conducted as a part of the Time-Capsule project funded by the Ministry of Environment.
SPECIES NAME AND PHYLOGENY
Species names of the NIES strains are primarily given by depositors. On the other hand, the NIES-Collection has re-evaluated the NIES strains (mostly coccoid green algae) by DNA sequencing. In the course of the re-evaluation, we have found some strains miss identified by morphological characteristics only. For such strains, we changed species name or made a comment to suggest suitable taxonomic position. We welcome users’ comments on species name and taxonomy of the NIES strains.
MICROCYSTIS AERUGINOSA
Five morphospecies of Microcystis (M. aeruginosa, M. ichthyoblabe Kützing, M. novacekii (Komárek) Compère , M. viridis (A. Braun) Lemmermann, and M. wesenbergii (Komárek) Komárek in Kondrateva) are commonly observed in water blooms of Japan. Recently, these five species were unified into one bacterial species, M. aeruginosa, by Otsuka et al. (2001). The NIES-Collection accepted this proposal, and strains formerly identified as above mentioned five species were changed to M. aeruginosa, but the former names are shown in Synonym or Former name of individual “Strain Data” pages.
NIES STRAINS DEPOSITED FROM OTHER CULTURE COLLECTIONS
Most of the NIES strains have been directly deposited by researchers, whereas some strains were deposited from other culture collections by the exchange between the collections and via researchers. Strain numbers of other culture collections are shown in the “Strain Data”. However, please note that NIES strain numbers should be used when users purchase/receive those strains from the NIES-Collection.
CRYOPRESERVED STRAINS - Methods we are using
Most of the cyanobacterial strains, a part of the green and red algal strains
are preserved only in liquid nitrogen. These cryopreserved strains are indicated
in the search results of “Strain list” as remarks and by marking “cryopreserved”
and cricking Search button in the
“Search Strain Data”.
Cryopreservation is necessary for long-term preservation in
culture collections, preventing contamination during repetitive transfer
and genetic changes by mutation (Day & McLellan, 1995). Now, the NIES-Collection
holds ca. 740 strains only in vapor phase of liquid nitrogen.
For these cryopreserved strains, frozen cells are thawed and inoculated
into fresh medium just after the order is accepted. As a result, it takes
at least one month for the overseas shipping of these strains.
STRAINS AND THEIR MAINTENANCE
For the number of the strains, species and genera maintained at the NIES-Collection,
please refer the “Strain list of systematic index.” (Strain list
[ Systematic
index] GO )
In the NIES-Collection, about 2/3 of the strains are maintained
by subculturing under optimal and/or suboptimal conditions ranging from
5 to 25 °C and 4 to 50 µmol m-2
s-1 photon flux density in a 12-h-light
: 12-h-dark photo-regime. The strains are serially transferred at 14 days
to 6 months intervals. These maintenance conditions differ depending on
algal strains. To prevent loss of the strains during maintenance by serial
transfer, we check growth of the strains weekly. Once a year, we also check
absence of bacteria for the axenic strains by using several bacterial check
media.
DIFFICULT TO TRANSPORT STRAINS
Some strains, such as dinoflagellates and raphidophytes, are fragile and easy to die during transportation. Those strains are indicated as “Difficult to transport” in the search results of “Strain list” and “View cart of your order” as remarks. For transport of those strains to foreign countries, we will use courier survice, such as FedEx. Please understand that we need several trials for transportation of such strains successfully.
HISTORY
NIES-Collection (Microbial Culture Collection at the National Institute
for Environmental Studies) was founded in 1983 within NIES.
When the NIES-Collection was created, environmental issues such as eutrophication
of lakes and rivers, air and water pollution, and human health problems
caused by environmental pollution were much more severe than nowadays. The
NIES-Collection started with ca. 250 strains mostly deposited by NIES scientists
who were involved in environmental research and by other culture collections
in Japan. Thus, red-tide-forming algae, such as Chattonella antiqua and
Heterosigma akashiwo, and water-bloom-forming cyanobacteria, such
as Microcystis aeruginosa were representatives at the start, and
still characterize the culture collection.
In the mid-1990s, the NIES-Collection started ex situ
conservation of endangered algae in Japan. In the list of Japanese endangered
wildlife (the red list) compiled by the Ministry of Environment (2007),
117 species/varieties of algae are listed as extinct /endangered species
in Japan. Most of them are Charales (58 taxa) and red algae (46 taxa; mostly
freshwater). Local populations of these algae have decreased due to eutrophication,
habitat losses and introduction of grass carp in Japan. Now, the NIES-Collection
holds ca. 300 strains of endangered algae including 15 taxa of charales
and 9 taxa of freshwater red algae.
In 2002, the NIES-Collection was selected as one of core collections
in the National BioResource Project (NBRP).
In the first phase of this project (FY2002-2006), various strains of cyanobacteria,
microalgae and related protozoa were deposited from the University of Tsukuba
and National Science Museum. More than 200 strains of cyanobacteria and
microalgae maintained at IAM-Collection (University of Tokyo) were also
deposited to the NIES-Collection.
NOTICE
When you present/publish your results using a NIES strain, please indicate
the NIES strain number (e.g., NIES-125) and the collection name (Microbial
Culture Collection at the National Institute for Environmental Studies).
Please use the strains appropriately in compliance with the conditions agreed
in “Agreement for distribution.”
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
National Institute for Environmental Studies holds the copyright on this site, which includes all information such as images, figures and tables. For commercial use and all use in web sites, please contact us prior to any use. To private use for academic and educational purpose, images, figures and tables in this web site are available without permission, provided the following conditions are fulfilled;
- For images, the copyright owner, “Microbial Culture Collection, National Institute for Environmental Studies” should be indicated near the pictures.
- Image processing such as modification of contrast and image clipping
is not allowed.