Central Public Health Laboratory, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT Tel: +44-181-200 4400, Fax: +44-181-205 7483, Email: bholmes@phls.nhs.uk
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The National collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) is a specialised laboratory located in the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale. It accesses, preserves and supplies authentic cultures of bacteria and mycoplasmas that are pathogenic to man or other animals that may occur in food or water and in hospital or health related environments and which can be preserved by freeze-drying. Non-pathogenic strains may be accepted where they are phylogenetically related (e.g. members of the same genus) to pathogenic strains. Bacteriophages may be accepted where they are active against pathogenic bacterial strains. Medically important plasmids are accepted only in host strains. Founded in 1920, it is the longest-established collection in the world offering a bacterial culture supply service. It is internationally recognised, serving as a European Resource Centre for Plasmids and a UNESCO Microbial Resource Centre (MIRCEN).