Standard Deposits

CCAP is willing to accept deposits of algae (including cyanobacteria) and free-living, non-pathogenic protozoa that the depositor considers to have some interesting properties. For example, it may be taxonomically important as Type material, or may have some unique or unusual physiological or biochemical features, or it may have been isolated from an unusual habitat. A strain may have proved useful in research or as a food organism or it may simply be a rare example of a cultured strain representing a group of organisms which are usually difficult to obtain in culture. The risk of losing the strain is obviously reduced if the depositor places the strain in recognised culture collections. CCAP will consider the acceptance of such strains, allocate to them strain numbers, list them in catalogues and subsequently make them available to the scientific community, if the following conditions can be satisfied:

  • The strain has been identified, preferably to the species level.
  • The criteria used in identifying the strain are stated.
  • The strain is identified with a new species name (i.e. Type material), the name and a description of the species has been published or is ‘in press’ in the scientific literature. Copies of the relevant published material must be provided at the time of deposit.
  • The depositor is prepared to allow CCAP staff to make such changes to cultivation procedures as may be deemed necessary for the practical or economic maintenance of the strain.

If, after receiving the strain, there is some doubt concerning its identity, CCAP may either return the sample to the depositor with a request for confirmation of its identity and/or send a sample to a qualified third party for a confirmation of the identification. Once a deposit has been accepted into the Collection it will be given a unique strain designation (number) which will be immutable.

Please note that CCAP cannot accept all deposit requests due to limitations of staff time and resources.

We reserve the right to refuse any strain that is not as described in the Accession Form.

Compliance with the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing

CCAP adheres to The MIRRI Best Practice Manual on Access and Benefit Sharing.

Depositors have a responsibility to show due diligence to determine if the material to be deposited is within the scope of the Nagoya Protocol (NP).

Before completing the Accession Form, please check if your strain falls within the scope of the Protocol.

If the strain you wish to deposit:

  • was collected on or after October 12th 2014
  • was collected from a country that is party to the NP

Then the NP legislation may apply. To check and for further information visit the ABSCH (Access and Benefit Sharing Clearing House).

If the strain is regulated by the NP you will be asked for details of the National Competent Authority that granted access to the genetic resource, and possibly to upload documentation showing Prior Informed Consent (PIC) and/or Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT). This information could be combined in an Internationally Recognised Certificate of Compliance (IRCC).

Failure to provide necessary information and documentation could result in the deposit being refused.

Click here to see background information on the Nagoya Protocol.

Standard Deposit Terms and Conditions

  • Standard deposits are accessed into CCAP’s public collection. The strain data will be public, and the strain can be freely used by CCAP and distributed to third parties under CCAP’s general terms and conditions.
  • CCAP will withhold publication of the strain details for up to 1 year if requested while a paper is in preparation/in press.
  • On acceptance of a strain it will be allocated a CCAP number, which will be immutable regardless of any changes in the taxonomic description.
  • Depositors may obtain 1 culture of each strain they have deposited free of charge per calendar year. Further cultures of the same strain are charged at our standard rates.
  • By accepting these terms you confirm that the strain was isolated/developed by the depositor, or that the strain is deposited with the permission of the isolator/developer/originator.
  • CCAP reserves the right to refuse any strain that is not as described in the Accession Form.
  • CCAP bears no responsibility for inevitable change and loss during maintenance, or for loss caused by natural disasters.
  • CCAP may stop the maintenance and distribution of the strain in accordance with a decision made by the Manager of the collection.

Procedure for Depositing Strains

Prospective depositors should NOT send live material to CCAP in the first instance.

For each strain to be submitted for Standard Deposit, please complete one copy of the form. If you wish to submit several strains please contact us and we can supply a spreadsheet for easier data entry.

Please give as much information as possible. Reprints of relevant publications, media recipes, and any photographs of the organism would be appreciated and can be uploaded when submitting the accession form.

On receipt of the application(s) we will make a decision on whether or not we are able to accept the strain(s) and will contact you as soon as possible.

Accession Form for Standard Deposit