The ARS Culture Collection

The curators of the ARS Culture Collection are internationally recognized as experts in the systematics and taxonomy of the groups of microorganisms held in their individual collections, and are actively engaged in research applying modern molecular systematic methods for the more accurate and rapid identification of these microorganisms. Curators receive many requests for strain identifications each year, and are able to perform a limited number of these. Collaborative research projects have been established between curators and other ARS and outside researchers where larger numbers of strains might need to be identified. Two ABI 3100 gene sequencers are available within the research unit. A A Biolog workstation with gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial database for identification of microorganisms from physiological profiles is available to the curators in the collection for routine identifications. A MIDI Microbial Identification System with the aerobe, clinical, actinomycete, yeast, and fungal libraries is also available for identification of strains based on fatty acid profiles.

The curators of the specific collections are: *(click on hypertext names to send email)*
	EUKARYOTES
Dr. Cletus Kurtzman	Head of the the Collection and curator of the Yeast Collection
Dr. Kerry O'Donnell	Curator of the Fungal Collection (except Aspergillus and Penicillium)
Dr. Stephen Peterson	Curator of the Aspergillus and Penicillium Collection
	PROKARYOTES
Dr. David Labeda	Curator of the Actinobacteria Collection
Dr. Lawrence Nakamura	Curator emeritus of the Bacterial Collection
Dr. Todd Ward	Curator of the Listeria Collection
	PATENT STRAINS
Mr. James Swezey	Curator of the ARS Patent Culture Collection

THE CURATORS