In the context of open science, the availability of research materials is essential for knowledge accumulation and to maximize the impact of scientific research. In microbiology, microbial domain biological resource centres (mBRCs) have a long-standing experience in preserving and distributing authenticated microbial strains and genetic materials (e.g., recombinant plasmids, DNA libraries) to support new discoveries and follow-on studies. These culture collections play a central role in the conservation of microbial biodiversity and have expertise in cultivation, characterization and taxonomy of microorganisms. Information associated with preserved biological resources are recorded in databases and accessible through online catalogues. Legal expertise developed by mBRCs guarantees end users with the traceability and legality of the acquired material, notably with respect to the Nagoya Protocol. Yet, the awareness of the advantages to deposit biological materials in professional repositories remains low and the necessity to secure strains and genetic resources for future research must be emphasised. This review describes the unique position of mBRCs in microbiology and molecular biology through their history, evolving roles, expertise, services, challenges and international collaborations. It also calls for an increased deposit of strains and genetic resources, a responsibility shared by scientists, funding agencies and publishers. Journal policies requesting deposit during submission of a manuscript is already one of the measures to make more biological materials available to the broader community, hence fully releasing their potential and improving openness and reproducibility in scientific research.
