Deposit of Strains | Microbe Division (JCM) (RIKEN BRC)

Procedure for Deposition of a microorganism
Documents required
Import-prohibited microorganism by the Plant Protection Act
Shipment
Address to which documents and microbial cultures should be sent
Notification of JCM accession number
Certificate of deposition and availability of a microorganism
Contact

Protection of personal data at RIKEN BioResource Research Center

1. Procedure for Deposition of a microorganism(s)

JCM accepts bacteria, archaea, yeasts, filamentous fungi and related microorganisms that can be handled in Biosafety Level 1 or 2 facilities (corresponding to Risk Group 1 or 2; JCM does not accept microorganisms classified in Risk Group 3 or higher). To protect the DEPOSITOR’s rights and to promote the utilization of biological resources in the field of microbiological research and development, a MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (MTA) should be executed between the DEPOSITOR and RIKEN BioResource Research Center.

An outline of the procedure for depositing a microorganism in JCM is as follows:

1) The DEPOSITOR prepares a “DEPOSITION DATA SHEET” (for BACTERIA AND ARCHAEA or YEASTS or FILAMENTOUS FUNGI) per strain and “MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (FOR DEPOSITION)”. If the strain is a “living modified organism” or “genetically modified organism”, additional documents are also required as described below. Regarding each document, JCM accepts only the latest version of the form whose mandatory items are filled in without omission.

2) The DEPOSITOR sends the above-mentioned documents by e-mail to <inquiry.jcmriken.jp> as scanned images prior to sending the culture. The documents are looked over to determine whether JCM can accept the organism with or without permission from the Japanese authorities in the light of Japanese laws, e.g. the Plant Protection Act, etc. The DEPOSITOR may be asked to make corrections to the documents at this step.

3) After JCM informs the DEPOSITOR of a decision on acceptance, the DEPOSITOR is free to choose between 1) allowing JCM to work with the scanned MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT FOR DEPOSITION / DONATION or 2) sending the original two copies of MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT FOR DEPOSITION / DONATION by postal service to the address shown below.

4) If the depositing microorganisms are import-prohibited, the procedures added to the procedure for deposition of importable microorganisms (1. applying for an import permit, 2. obtaining the import permit) add around 1 to 3 months to the process.

5) After the MTA between the DEPOSITOR and RIKEN BRC is concluded and one copy of the MTA is returned to the DEPOSITOR, the DEPOSITOR sends the culture with a cover letter indicating the DEPOSITOR’s name and affiliation, the scientfic name and strain designation of the organism, and the MTA number. JCM does not accept a culture without advance notice and conclusion of an MTA in any case.

6) A JCM accession number is assigned to the microorganism and the DEPOSITOR is informed of the number after authenticity of the culture is confirmed by checking viability and purity and by sequencing an appropriate gene like a ribosomal RNA gene.

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2. Documents required

Forms (Please download the latest version)
No.	Documents	Forms	No.	Form required	Fill out sample
i.	DEPOSITION DATA SHEET	for BACTERIA AND ARCHAEA (Latest version:2021-02-08)	M-8-P	1 copy /strain	–
i.	DEPOSITION DATA SHEET	for FILAMENTOUS FUNGI AND YEASTS (Latest version:2021-02-08)	M-8-F	1 copy /strain	–
ii.	MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT	for Donation (Latest version:2021-04-08)	M-2E		How to prepare Form M-2E
ii.	MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT	for Deposition (Latest version:2021-04-08)	M-9		How to prepare Form M-9
iii.	“LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISM” or “GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM”	LEGALLY REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISM	M-8-G	1 copy /strain	–
iii.		DATA SHEET OF LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISM	M-8-GD	1 copy /strain	–

The “DEPOSITION DATA SHEET” and “MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT” are available as Adobe^® PDF files. Please complete the forms on-screen with Adobe^® Reader^®, print (double-sided, if possible) and sign them, and scan them to PDF format then send them as attachments with an email.

The DEPOSITOR is free to choose between 1) allowing JCM to print out two copies of the scanned MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT FOR DEPOSITION / DONATION or 2) sending the original two copies of MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT FOR DEPOSITION / DONATION by postal service to the address shown below.

i. DEPOSITION DATA SHEET

for BACTERIA AND ARCHAEA (Form M-8-P)
for FILAMENTOUS FUNGI AND YEASTS (Form M-8-F)

Please use the appropriate form for your microorganism. One copy per strain is requested.

ii. MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT

MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (FOR Deposition) (Form M-9)
MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (FOR Donation) (Form M-2E)

Two original copies signed by the authorized representative of the organization and an appropriate researcher knowledgeable about the microorganism(s) are requested.

<<About Deposition and Donation>>

“Deposition” does not include the transfer of intellectual property rights, and the intellectual property rights of the deposited resources are retained by the depositor / developer. The conditions of use set at the time of deposit are imposed on the recipients as they are.
For “Donation”, the resources and the intellectual property rights of the resources will be transferred to our center. However, Donors are free to use their donated resources after donation.
In the case of Donation, conditions for use other than intellectual property rights can be added, such as “Acknowledgment is required to publish research results.” We recommend “Donation” when you leave public office due to retirement or when it is difficult to answer various questions and requests from users. Please consider Donation along with the deposition.

<<Request to the DEPOSITOR>>

1) Depositors are responsible for providing complete documents and necessary information on strains prior to their deposition. JCM only accepts deposition with appropriate documentation using the latest version of the forms (The forms may change without prior notice). Please download the latest forms from the web site, fill in all the mandatory items carefully, and have an Authorized Representative (dean, director, head or their equivalent) and a Scientist (not be a student) sign the MTA (Form M-9). Please feel free to contact JCM in advance if there are any questions or anything unclear about the deposition process. An offer of deposition will become invalid if JCM does not receive all documents complete, all necessary information and a satisfactory culture within 6 months.

2) As a public biological resource bank, RIKEN BRC requests that DEPOSITORS deposit their strains with minimum restrictions. Any requirement of co-authorship by the DEPOSITORS on any research publications is limited to two years.

3) The International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM) and the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) require that type strains of new species, new subspecies and new combinations of bacteria and archaea are available to any researchers without restriction. If the DEPOSITORS place some restriction on distribution of the type strain by item 6 of the MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (Form M-9), the specific terms and conditions are described on the Certificate of Deposition and Availability of a Microorganism. In this case, the IJSEM will likely reject the submission of the paper proposing the new name. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that you do not place any restrictions on bacterial and archaeal type strains.

4) The policy of JCM in principle is that all deposited microorganisms are open to the public. A deposited strain will be released to the public when the process for accessioning is completed. If you would like to request the release of the strain to be delayed until a paper describing the strain is published (including a paper in press appearing online), please notify JCM using the DATA SHEET (item no. 15 for BACTERIA and ARCHAEA, and item no. 18 for YEASTS and FILAMENTOUS FUNGI). Please note that the deposited strain will be released to the public after five years following the deposition irrespective of the above choice.

5) It is recommended that deposited microorganisms are also preserved by the DEPOSITOR to insure against an unexpected incidents.

iii. DEPOSITION OF “LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISM” or “GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM”

LEGALLY REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISM (Form M-8-G)
DATA SHEET OF LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISM (Form M-8-GD)

When the strain corresponds to “living modified organism” or “genetically modified living organism” (including deletion mutants and genome-edited strains), please complete Form M-8-G and provide the necessary information. The information is needed under the Japanese law “Act on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity through Regulations on the Use of Living Modified Organisms”, which ensures the compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Please also complete Form M-8-GD and provide the detailed data of genetic modifications in order to confirm the modifications experimentally.

These two forms must be provided to us before sending the strain.

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3. Importing import-prohibited microorganism by the Plant Protection Act

The import ban in the imported phytosanitary quarantine targets the host plants of pests that, in the unlikely event of invasion of Japan, have a high risk of causing great damage to crops and greenery and are difficult to detect by inspection at the time of import. Japan also bans the import of live pests that are harmful to soils and plants (such as “fungi, slime molds, bacteria, parasitic plants and viruses”) that are likely to contain pests.
For more information on the plant quarantine in Japan, please visit the following links:
http://www.pps.go.jp/english/index.html
https://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/information/language_top.html

If the microorganisms being deposited are import-prohibited, the procedure described below are added to the procedure for deposition of importable microorganisms, which adds around 1 to 2 months to the process.

<< Overview >>

1) JCM asks the depositor five questions in order for us to apply for an import permit.

2) JCM apply for an import permit from the Plant Protection Station under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

3) The permit is issued (it takes approximately 1 month, although delays should be expected at the end of the fiscal year and New Year).

4) JCM send the e-import permit “Yellow-Tags” attaching with an e-mail.

5) The depositor sends the strain(s) to the Plant Protection Station by either EMS or a regular postal air parcel (shipping methods are chosen by the Depositor by answering the five questions) with the import permit “Yellow-Tags”.

6) After inspection confirming that the import license application contents and the strain(s) are consistent, the Plant Protection Station forwards the strains to JCM.

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4. Shipment

When the MTA has been executed between the DEPOSITOR and RIKEN BRC and one copy has been returned to the DEPOSITOR, the DEPOSITOR is requested to send the culture. Although a freeze-dried or L-dried ampoule is preferable for deposit, a living culture can be accepted.

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5. Address to which documents and microbial cultures should be sent

Microbe Division / Japan Collection of Microorganisms
RIKEN BioResource Research Center
3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
Fax: +81 29 836 9561
E-mail: inquiry.jcm

riken.jp

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6. Notification of JCM accession number

The JCM accession number will be assigned to the microorganism and the DEPOSITOR will be informed of the number after the culture has been checked and preserved.

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7. Certificate of deposition and availability of a microorganism

In accordance with the policy of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM), authors who wish to propose a new species, a new subspecies or a new combination in IJSEM or to apply for citation of a new name in the Validation List of IJSEM are required to prove deposition of the type strain in culture collections and its availability to the public without restriction. In response to this policy and upon request by a depositor, JCM issues a certificate of deposition and availability to the DEPOSITOR or one of authors of a manuscript describing a new taxon. The certificate can be issued after confirmation of the viability and purity of the deposited culture and also confirmation of its authenticity by the 16S rRNA gene analysis. Please contact us to apply for the certificate.

JCM issues the certificate only for deposited strains that can be distributed without restriction for academic research purpose. If terms and conditions in the MTA (for Deposition) restrict distribution or require acquisition of a written consent using the Approval Form (Form M-12) for academic research purpose, JCM does not issue the certificate in response to the policy of IJSEM.

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8. Contact

Microbe Division / Japan Collection of Microorganisms
RIKEN BioResource Research Center
3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
Fax: +81 29 836 9561
E-mail: inquiry.jcm

riken.jp

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JCM accession number
JCM:

Example: JCM = 12345 (Exact match search)

Scientific name 1
Genus: Species:

Example 1: Genus = Micromonospora Example 2: Species = aurantiaca Example 3: Genus = %monospo, Species = %ensis (Prefix match search at each box. Inside match or suffix match search can be performed by using "%" as a wild-card character like Example 3. Case-insensitive)

Scientific name 2
Scientific name:

Example 1: Scientific name = Micromonospora chalcea Example 2: Scientific name = Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei (Prefix match search. Inside match or suffix match search can be performed by using "%" as a wild-card character. Case-insensitive)

Culture medium
JCM Medium No.: Name of Medium:

Example 1: JCM Medium No. = 58 Example 2: Name of Medium = malt extract (Exact match search for "JCM Medium No." and inside match search for "Name of Medium". Case-insensitive)