Microbial Biorepository Collaborative Center

The Microbial Biorepository Collaborative Center serves as a central strategic resource for the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions and the wider institution. Our mission is to ensure the integrity, reproducibility, and accessibility of critical microbial resources, thereby supporting and accelerating a wide range of research programs in infectious disease, microbiome science, immunology and drug discovery.

The facility is responsible for the acquisition, authentication, preservation and distribution of a diverse collection of microbial strains. The center operates as a dynamic research unit, moving beyond simple archival storage to include advanced microbial cultivation and comprehensive phenotypic characterization. In addition, we are committed to implementing innovative technologies and standardized operating procedures (SOPs) to maintain a repository of the highest scientific quality.

The center ensures the reproducibility and reliability of experimental data across research projects by providing rigorously curated and well-characterized microbial strains. This centralized, expert management of microbial resources eliminates redundant efforts between labs, generates significant cost savings and mitigates the risks associated with strain misidentification or contamination. The center’s collaborative engagement with internal and external partners, including vendor management and technology assessment, fosters innovation and positions the institution at the forefront of microbial sciences. Furthermore, the high-quality preliminary data generated using the center’s resources is instrumental in securing extramural grant funding, which directly contributes to the institution's financial sustainability and scientific prestige.

Microbial biorepository management

Secure, long-term cryogenic storage and inventory management of bacterial, fungal and/or viral collections. This includes accessioning, cataloging and distribution of strains to internal and collaborative researchers.

Microbial strain curation and authentication

Services include microbial revival, purity checking and confirmatory identification using gold-standard methodologies (e.g. 16S/ITS and whole genome DNA sequencing).

Microbial cultivation and propagation

Expert cultivation of a wide variety of microorganisms under appropriate biosafety conditions and preparation of cultures for downstream experiments.

Phenotypic characterization

High-throughput and custom assays to determine microbial phenotypes, including but not limited to antibiotic susceptibility profiling (AST), growth kinetics and metabolic profiling.

Research and development collaboration

Consultation on experimental design, strain selection and methodology to meet evolving research needs.

Data management

Maintenance of a secure, searchable database that links all stored microbial specimens with their associated metadata, characterization data and relevant protocols.

Ying Kong, PhD 
Department of Host Microbe Interactions
MS 221, Room D1034A

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital