BioOne

The KCTC discovers, acquires, and preserves biological resources, providing the life science infrastructure necessary for the full lifecycle of bio-research, from basic studies to practical applications.

The KCTC began its role as a microbial resource infrastructure institution in 1985 as a special project division of KIST’s Genetic Engineering Center. As the largest holder of standard and patented microbes in Korea, the KCTC supports the acquisition and utilization of biological resources for R&D in the bio-industry, with the vision of “Bio Korea! Global KCTC, a global microbial bank supporting a strong bio-nation.”

As Korea’s largest accredited microbial resource institution (including standard, reference, and patented strains), the KCTC is responsible for acquiring, distributing, and providing services for microbial resources, managing and distributing R&D outcomes (biological resources), supporting the bioeconomy through the development of a life resource industry ecosystem, building international life resource cooperation networks, and serving as the central microbial bank under the multi-ministerial National Life Research Resource Advancement Project launched in 2021.

• KCTC holdings of biological resources (as of December 31, 2023)
  • Category/Archaea/Bacteria/Actinomycetes/Anaerobic bacteria/Plasmids/Fungi/Yeast/Microalgae/Animal Cell Lines/Plant Cell Lines/Patented Resources/Number of Strains
• KCTC (Standard) microbial resources and research outcome resources are managed under a 1:1 exchange coupon system for depositors.

The Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC) collects, classifies, evaluates, and digitizes microorganisms in the agriculture and food sectors to preserve them and provide access to users.

• The KACC was established in 1995 at the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences under the Rural Development Administration, with the following missions:
  • ① Collects, classifies and preserves bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and mushrooms, and digitizes the information to conserve the diversity of microorganisms in agriculture and food
  • ② Distributes preserved microorganisms to universities, industry, and rural development institutions for research, industrial, and educational purposes and provides identification, preservation, education, information, and consultation services for microorganisms
  • ③ Conducts research on morphological, molecular, and biochemical classification of microorganisms and their industrial applications to ensure effective preservation and service
• The KACC is also legally mandated to perform the following roles as a government agency
  • ① It serves as the government authority for agricultural and food microbial resources as defined in Article 7 of the ACT ON THE CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT, AND USE OF AGRICULTURAL BIO-RESOURCES.
  • ② The KACC is a domestic depository for patented microorganisms under Article 58 of the PATENT ACT and an international depository under the Budapest Treaty. Additionally, it operates the National Integrated Repository for Patented Microorganisms, which redundantly preserves all patented microorganisms held by domestic depository institutions (in agreement with the Korean Intellectual Property Office).
  • ③ Recently, under the 3rd Master Plan for Biological Research Resources, the KACC was designated as a joint central bank of the microbial cluster together with the KRIBB Korean Collection for Type Culture (KCTC).
  • ④ Internationally, the KACC participates as a member of the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) and the Asian Consortium of Microbial Resources Centers (ACM).

As the only environmental microbial resource center in Korea, we aim to serve as a global professional microbial preservation bank that provides essential resources for basic research and industrial applications.

Since the 1970s, the Environmental Microbial Resources and Gene Bank has conducted classification, phylogenetic studies, and environmental pollution control research related to microbial resources, developing and securing unique domestic environmental microbial and genetic resources.
Designated in 2005 by the Ministry of Science and ICT as a specialized microbial resources bank, we have established and operated an efficient management system to effectively preserve and secure domestic environmental microbial resources, providing foundational data for the classification and ecological studies of indigenous microorganisms.

The need for applied technology development using useful biological resources and the operation of specialized biological resource centers has become increasingly significant worldwide, particularly since the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010.
Ecosystem destruction and biodiversity loss continue to worsen due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, leading to ongoing environmental degradation—necessitating appropriate countermeasures.
There is a growing need for research and development of economical and efficient biological treatment methods to restore damaged ecosystems, along with heightened awareness of the national role of professional microbial preservation institutions that systematically collect and distribute microbial resources to support such efforts.

The Environmental Microbial Resources and Gene Bank isolates, identifies, and characterizes valuable research strains for the removal of pollutants from water, soil, and marine environments, preserving and utilizing these microbial resources and related genes for bioenvironmental research and industrial applications.
The developed microbial resources are provided to academia, research institutes, and industries, contributing to the advancement of related scientific fields and industrial sectors.
In addition, we are building infrastructure for establishing a world-class resource center and providing foundational data in life science and environmental engineering to support biological treatment research for pollution removal and ecosystem restoration.