Confidential Safe Deposit - Yeast Banking
If you are a brewer and would like more information regarding the new and improved Safe Deposit service at NCYC, specifically tailored to the brewing industry, please read the information on Safe Deposit Services for Brewers.
Confidential Safe Deposit Service - Yeast Banking
The NCYC provides safe and secure storage of proprietary yeast strains on a confidential basis. The cultures are available exclusively on the instructions of the depositor.
This is a deposit suitable for companies that want to store their strains in the NCYC yeast bank for insurance purposes and to guaranty access to the strains over time.
The strains in deposit can also be used to verify the authenticity of strains used in food and beverage manufacturing.
This service is valuable for brewing, manufacturing or biotechnological production strains. Any company with an important production strain can take advantage of the NCYC’s facilities and expertise in culture maintenance. Yeast cultures are preserved under optimal conditions for the maintenance of their properties, under secure and confidential safeguard and yet be available on demand. Safe deposited strains may also be converted into Patent deposits when required.
To submit your yeast strain into the NCYC Safe Deposit please email us requesting NCYC Safe deposit accession form.
Preservation of Safe Deposited Cultures
No further information other than the media requirements for growth and the pathogenicity of the culture (if applicable) need be revealed. If the organism has been genetically manipulated, a signed statement is required from the depositor’s local genetic risk assessment committee that the organism has been categorised GMAG 1 or 2.
Clearance by the Institute Genetic Modification Safety Committee must also be obtained before work can begin on any GMO.
Upon receipt, the culture is checked for viability and purity. Yeasts are both freeze-dried and also preserved in liquid nitrogen. Viability is checked periodically in the same way as the main collection.
Security
Strains are held at the Quadram Biosciences Institute with on-site security. A duplicate collection is also maintained on a geographically separate site as a further safeguard. All information concerning the cultures is kept securely and is entirely confidential between NCYC and the depositor.
Access to Cultures
Supply of safe deposited cultures is exclusive to the depositor or according to the depositor’s instructions. Every year 2 slopes can be provided on request and free of charge.
Authentication
The NCYC can accept samples of brewing, baking or other Saccharomyces cultures direct from the manufacturing process to authenticate against deposited cultures. Please contact the Collection manager for further details before sending cultures.