On the 12th International Conference of Culture Collections (ICCC-12), Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) defeated the other institutes and became a new host institute for World Data Center for Microorganisms (WDCM). Dr. Smith, President of World Federation of Culture Collections (WFCC) announced the result.

WDCM is the first world data center in the field of biology settled in China. It will help to introduce world-class microbial resource management to China and improve the informationization and data quality of microorganisms. On the other hand, WDCM plays as a platform on which China’s microbial research can be better involved in international research and become more influential in microbiology. Moreover, WDCM, hosted by a developing country for the first time, entered a new phase of development that developing countries have more opportunities to display their achievement in microbial research to the world.

Established in 1966 in the University of Queensland in Australia, WDCM is under WFCC and UNESCO Microbial Resources Centers Network. At present, there are 585 culture collections in 68 countries registered in WDCM. In July 2010, WFCC called for a new host institute for WDCM. IMCAS joined the application together with some famous culture collections.