Mission
The National Collection of Cultures of Microorganisms (CNCM) is an international depositary authority (IDA) under the Budapest Treaty. It is an autonomous unit, ensuring the safeguarding of the integrity and the controlled accessibility of microorganisms, cell cultures and viruses, deposited for the purposes of patent procedures. The CNCM is the only international depositary authority in France and the second in Europe in relation to the number of deposits received since obtaining the IDA status in 1984.
The CNCM accepts bacteria, filamentous fungi, yeasts, viruses and animal and human cell lines. Microorganisms are accepted indifferently whether they are genetically modified or not. Plasmids are not recognized by the CNCM as “type of microorganism”, but as part of the properties of the microorganism.
As a collection of microorganisms authorized for patents, the CNCM receives national and international deposits associated to patents proceedings.