Guide to World Data Center on Microorganisms: List of Culture Collections in the World - First Edition

This document provides a comprehensive guide to the World Data Center on Microorganisms (WDC), an international resource for the scientific community. It outlines the history and mission of the WDC, which is to maintain a global network of culture collections and provide access to information on microbial strains. The guide details the technical requirements and procedures for accessing the WDC's online database, which contains information on 345 culture collections across more than 55 countries. It also describes the various services available to registered users, including database searching, data exchange, and communication tools. The document serves as a practical manual for researchers and institutions seeking to utilize the WDC's resources for obtaining and managing microbial data and materials.