MICROBIAL DIVERSITY - EX-SITU CONSERVATION OF INDONESIAN MICROORGANISMS

This paper discusses the role of microbial resource collections in the ex situ conservation of microbial diversity and, in particular, the a ctivities of a recently completed Darwin Initiative project to facilit ate collection, identification and exploitation of Indonesian microbia l diversity. This helped revitalize the collection of the Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuea Indonesia (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), LIPI, Resea rch and Development Centre for biology, Bogor, Indonesia. It is sugges ted that a focus on microorganisms beneficial to man is essential to e nable ex situ collections to be a useful tool in the conservation and sustainable utilization of microbial diversity. This task is enormous and far beyond the capabilities of one collection and its achievement will necessitate a network of collections.