Research and development at ATCC can be divided into two distinct areas — collections-related research and translational research.
Collections-related R&D supports the ATCC mission by generating new knowledge and improving the organization’s function as a biological resource center. The cell biologists, microbiologists and developmental biologists that manage the diverse collections act not only as curators of the materials but as active investigators.
Some examples of areas where ATCC scientists perform research projects to serve the scientific community are:
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Characterization of materials — ATCC scientists generate information to accompany ATCC organisms and cell lines through a series of tests that characterize the materials. Characterization increases the utility of the products for other researchers.
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Improved storage methods — ATCC scientists investigate topics pertaining to long-term preservation of biological cultures.
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Descriptions of new species — ATCC scientists are at the forefront of research in microbial taxonomy, untangling species relationships and describing new types of microorganisms.
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Effective authentication of reference materials — ATCC scientists work to optimize assays and techniques that are aimed at confirming the identity and purity of cultures used as reference materials.
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Using collection diversity to address research questions — ATCC scientists search for research projects that will allow them to take advantage of the great breadth and diversity of ATCC collections
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