XVI International Botanical Congess

The microbial culture collection centres play a significant role for the preservation, maintenance and supply of authentic cultures to researchers. They also ensure that the culture deposits are subjected to strict quality control prior to including in their acquisition and these activities, in toto, determine the reputation of the centres. Unfortunately, very few of them have trained taxonomists to skilfully run the centres. We report here, probably for the first time, a case related to Aspergillus sydowii, identified by the IMI, UK and quoted in various publications (1991-94), of questionable identity and purity and attributed to produce industrially important xylanase enzymes. On submission to some collection centres, the culture was different from A. sydowii and presently ATCC holds the organism in the name of A. flavus (ATCC 96916) also listing the same references. Suggestions for a greater role of the culture collection centres and taxonomic science are emphasized with reference to the matter referred above.