[News Terms] 'National Pathogen Resource Bank' Distributing Pathogens

Morning of the 30th at Seoul Station screening clinic.
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The National Culture Collection for Pathogens (NCC) is an institution that collects, manages, and distributes pathogen resources such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses that cause infectious diseases, supporting research and development in infectious disease-related fields and the advancement of the healthcare industry.

As an organization under the Korea National Institute of Health, it operates specialized banks in nine fields: viruses, pathogenic fungi, zoonotic infectious diseases, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, multidrug-resistant bacteria, food poisoning bacteria, respiratory diseases, oral bacteria, and fastidious organisms. The virus banks are designated at Korea University College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, the pathogenic fungi bank at Catholic Kwandong University, the zoonotic infectious diseases bank at Jeonbuk National University, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria bank at Seoul Women’s University, the multidrug-resistant bacteria bank at the Korea National Institute of Health, the food poisoning bacteria bank at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation Institute, the respiratory diseases bank at Kyungpook National University Hospital, the oral bacteria bank at Chosun University Dental College, and the fastidious organisms bank at Gyeongsang National University Hospital.

According to the "2022 Distribution Resource Demand Trends and Distribution Status" announced by the National Culture Collection for Pathogens on the 30th, the NCC provided 4,925 strains (187 species) of resources to healthcare research institutions and industries last year.

The COVID-19 virus was the most distributed pathogen, with 1,677 strains distributed to 243 institutions, followed by Escherichia coli (502 strains), Salmonella enterica (203 strains), influenza virus (179 strains), and dengue virus (144 strains). These pathogen resources were mainly distributed for diagnostic technology research (77%) and vaccine and therapeutic research (13%). Pathogen resources can be requested online through the National Culture Collection for Pathogens or the Disease and Health Integrated Management System websites.