-JMRC-

Group(s) of biological resources stored in the collection: bacteria (35,514 strains), archaea (10 strains), yeasts, filamentous fungi (25,722 strains of fungi incl. yeasts), bacteriophages (232 strains), protozoa (2 strains of slime moulds).

The JMRC holds a total of 5 subcollections:

1) JMRC:SF: Fungal subcollection, which contains the collection of the former PKS (Pilzkulturensammlung) and PRZ (Pilz-Referenz-Zentrum) at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena

2) JMRC:STI: Subcollection of the former IMET collection (Institut für Mikrobiologie und experimentelle Therapie), which contains strains used for ex type strain deposit and natural product screening at the Leibniz-HKI and its preceeding institutions

3) JMRC:STH: Subcollection of the HKI (Hans Knoell Institute Jena), which contains strains published with respect to isolation and description of novel natural compounds at the Leibniz-HKI and its preceeding institutions

4) JMRC:STN: Subcollection of the NRZMyk (National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses) which is hosted by the Leibniz-HKI and a joint collection with the University of Würzburg, Germany

5) JMRC:ST: Subcollection of the HKI (Hans Knoell Institute Jena), which contains all strains regardless if they were published or not with respect to isolation and description of novel natural compounds at the Leibniz-HKI and its preceeding institutions

Public/confidential deposit, distribution, service for antimicrobial profiling and training in strain maintenance and cryopreser, teaching and projects at schools and universities, back up strain deposits for large research consortia like Collaborative Research Centers/TransRegios (CRC/TR), Excellence Clusters, Graduate Schools etc.

Basal-lineage terrestrial fungi exhibit a wide variety of life styles ranging from saprophytic species to pathogens of other fungi, plants and animals. Several species are known to cause infections in humans. Although regarded as uncommon fungal infections, the incidence of the mucormycosis has increased over the past few years. The disease is complex and caused by over 30 species of the order Mucorales. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in the infection processes of these fungal pathogens. We study the interaction of spores with monocytes and macrophages comprising the major components of the innate immune system. We have established phagocytosis assays and lung-on-chip models as an alternative to animal models. Furthermore, virulence factors are identified using -omics analyses. These virulence factors are mandatory for the switch from environmental to human pathogenic species during multiple adaptation processes which we decipher to understand the underlying mechanisms.

The JMRC is a joint collection of Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology and the University of Jena. Within the HKI it functions as cross-sectional unit providing services in strain deposit, maintenance, identification and characterization of their antimicrobial, antiproliferative and virulence potentials. Therefore, the microorganisms preserved in the JMRC are regarded as natural resources. strains of the natural resource chemical properties. The antimicrobial properties of microorganisms and chemical compounds are elucidated against a test set of 15 bacteria and 30 fungi in order to evaluate the growth inhibition effect on these tester organisms. Antiproliferative properties and virulence potentials are determined in various mammalian cell cultures in collaboration with the TTA department at the Leibniz-HKI.