South Africa ranks as the third most biodiverse country in the world. The rich biodiversity is a highly sought-after resource for the development of novel biobased products and processes and is considered one of the country’s competitive advantages.
Research and Innovation Manager, Dr. Anita Burger (pictured), confirmed that the Institute of Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics (IMBM) in the Department of Biotechnology has been awarded the Biobanks South Africa (BBSA) Microbial Biobank due to the expansive nature of the collection. This award serves as an acknowledgment of the value of this collection, but also its potential for the development of novel biobased products. The BBSA is an initiative of the South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap. It was actioned in 2021 and aims to formalize the network of biodiversity biobanks in South Africa.
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