Microorganisms are key players in most ecosystems, including agri-food systems. Over the course of its history, Agroscope has built up several collections of microorganisms from diverse environments, thereby preserving this invaluable biodiversity. These collections are a unique resource for research and development and are essential to numerous national and international projects. At the same time, they safeguard the microbial biodiversity of the Swiss agri-food sector for future generations.
Many Agroscope projects rely on the microbial resources maintained in these collections. The collections are responsible for ensuring that the resources they provide meet appropriate standards of quality and safety. They are also tasked with supplying researchers with data on the microorganisms they host, whether regarding their origin, their properties, or their genomes.
To strengthen and optimise this foundation of Agroscope’s research, the project Microbes of Agroscope aims to secure the long-term maintenance of the collections according to quality standards, to enhance their interoperability, and to ensure optimal access to microbial resources and their associated data.