Provision of access to biological materials to CCAP providing Remote Access and Transnational Access through the EU FP7 funded research infrastructure initiative: ASSEMBLE

Biological materials provide the fundamental building-blocks on which science is developed. ASSEMBLE is an EU FP7 research infrastructure initiative comprising a network of marine research stations. A key facet of the ASSEMBLE project has been the provision of access to marine biological materials. The Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP) at the ASSEMBLE partner institute of SAMS, has to date provided 372 cultures of algal, cyanobacterial and protozoan strains for 15 remote access (RA) projects and transnational access (TA) projects. The cultures provided encompassed a broad taxonomic diversity including: cyanobacteria, brown seaweeds, diatoms, dinoflagellates, green microalgae, fungal seaweed pathogens, and colourless heterotrophic flagellates. Additionally, CCAP has hosted, or been responsible for providing biological materials for 22 out of the 44 transnational access (TA) proposals accepted for SAMS. The aims of these projects covered a wide spectrum of scientific topics including projects as diverse as: investigating effect of iron concentrations on cultures, cryopreserving algae, looking for biotech potential products in cyanobacteria, characterising polar cyanobacteria, feeding trials for cold water coral and more. During the lifetime of the project support protocols for visitors were developed and refined to provide a fit-for-purpose flexible system. The project has been extended until 31 October 2014.