1. Global Outreach: Progress in the USA
Kevin McCluskey
The Fungal Genetics Stock Center

2. Research Coordination Network: A community of ex situ microbial germplasm repositories
Sponsored by US National Science Foundation
A 5 year Research Coordination Network Grant
4 members of Steering committee present at MIRRI Kick-off
D. Smith
K. Boundy-Mills
W. Wilson
K. McCluskey

3. Participating collections
Fungal Genetics Stock Center
USDA Northern Region Research Laboratory
National Center for Marine Algae
E. coli Stock Center
Bacillus Stock Center
International collection of VA Mycorrhizal fungi
Phaff Yeast collection
Bent Creek repository
US Forest Research Lab
USDA National Center for Genetic Resource Preservation
also, cave microbe collection, agrobacterium collection, national fungal collection etc

4. Specific Goals of the network
Develop syllabuses and organize a series of workshops to teach practices for culture collection management
Organize an online library of protocols and best practices
Design a blueprint for a robust, yet flexible community cyberinfrastructure
Develop a formal back-up plan for active, orphaned, or endangered collections;
Strengthen and expand contacts among US and international collections and users to facilitate knowledge and material sharing
Explore sustainable mechanisms for institutionalizing long-term support for this network of culture collection scientists and users

5. Planned meetings 2012, FGSC Planning workshop materials
2013, NCMA Planning shared cyber-infrastructure
2014, NCGRP Backup plan
2015, Phaff US culture collection society
2016, TBA Future plans 2 4 3 1

6. Meeting format Leverage travel funds Outreach event precedes meeting
Workshops will follow same format
# attendees
Day of meeting

7. First Meeting at FGSC 3 days 1) Student event 2) Launch meeting
>50 secondary students
2) Launch meeting
program available online soon (
Input /participation from NSF, FBI, USDA, DOE, CBD, SciColl, University collections
3)Planning/ site visit

8. Two alternate visions Distributed network Centralized system
Like US plant germplasm network
Benefits from expertise
Central Administration and offsite backup facility
Potentially more expensive
Centralized system
Economy of scale
Separate expertise from distribution and storage

9. Partners Governmental Professional US Department of Agriculture
US National Science Foundation
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Inter-Agency Working group survey
Professional
American Phytopathological Society
Scientific Societies (
Mycological Society of America
Ecological Society of America

10. Acknowledgements US National Science Foundation grant 0235887 (FGSC)
US National Science Foundation grant (RCN)
American Phytopathological Society
Steering committee
Kevin McCluskey, Curator: Fungal Genetics Stock Center, Research Professor, University of Missouri- Kansas City, MO.  
A. Rick Bennett, Department Chair and Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR (Co-PI). 
Seogchan Kang, Professor of Plant Pathology, Penn State University, University Park, PA (Co-PI).   
David Smith, Director Biological Resources, CABI, past president World Federation for Culture Collections, Surrey, UK 
Willie Wilson, Director: National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota, East Boothbay, ME.
Jessie Glaeser, Center for Forest Mycology Research at the US Forest Service Northern Research Station, Madison, WI.
David Geiser, Director: Fusarium Research Center, Professor of Plant Pathology, Penn State University, PA.
Kyria Boundy-Mills, Curator, Pfaff Yeast Culture Collection, University of California, Davis. CA.  
Ulrich Melcher, Regents Professor of Agricultural Biochemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
David Ellis, USDA, National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, Fort Collins, CO.  
Micah Krichevsky, Past president of the US Federation for Culture Collections
Kellye Eversole, American Phytopathological Society, Public Policy Board.