-PYCC-

Members holdings

PYCC is a research collection associated to the Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit (UCIBIO) and housed in the Department of Life Sciences at FCT/UNL. PYCC was founded in 1952 by Prof. Nicolau van Uden and is the oldest Portuguese Collection. It currently holds approximately 6700 strains, representing ca. 6200 yeasts, 100 filamentous fungi and 400 bacteria strains. PYCC holdings can be assessed through the Collection’s online catalogue. Most of the current PYCC holdings have been authenticated through state-of-the-art molecular methods and all strains available are cryopreserved at -145ºC. Since 2021 PYCC is ISO9001:2015 certified for obtaining, characterizing, preserving, and making available the extant microbial diversity, and for providing microbiological resources and consultancy services in microbiology and molecular biology.

Services offered

  • Culture supply to scientific community, industry, and teaching institutions.
  • Preservation of cultures deposited by researchers or industrialist in the public collection or as safe-deposits.
  • Publicly accessible website that provides on-line search of the information on the cultures preserved in PYCC.
  • Isolation and Molecular identification of microorganisms.
  • Consulting on issues pertaining to yeasts systematics.
  • Collaboration in tutorial training in the areas of microorganisms identification, classification, evolution, and ecology.
  • Genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of selected yeast genus.

Research

Yeast systematics, molecular phylogeny, and ecology. Species boundaries, population structure of yeasts. Screening and characterization of selected yeast cultures, directed towards the search for new useful compounds and biological activities (in cooperation with third parties, e.g. biotech companies). Comparative genomics.