The MEGIC (CNR-IRSA Verbania MEG Culture Collection) is the collection of microorganisms of the MEG. The collection includes cryopreserved bacterial strains and in vivo fungal strains deriving from studies carried out in the past years by CNR-IRSA Verbania researchers.
The bacterial strains were mainly collected in freshwaters, especially from the plankton of subalpine lakes such as Lake Maggiore or from the microbiota associated to freshwater zooplankton (e.g. Daphnia sp.). The taxonomy of bacterial strains was assigned by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The fungal strains derive from the collection of environmental fungi, mainly aquatic and cave. Many of the strains are taxonomically and/or functionally characterized.

Head of the MEGIC Collection: Laura Garzoli

MEGIC Culture curators: Laura Garzoli (fungi), Ester Eckert (bacteria)

MEGIC Crew: Emanuele Ferrari (chemistry), Sven Iburg (genomics), Giulia Borgomaneiro (lab and administrative assistance)

Scope of the MEGIC Collection:

• Conservation of ex-situ biodiversity
• Taxonomic and functional studies of isolates
• Risk assessment (e.g., pathogenicity assays, antibiotic resistance)
• Biotechnological applications (e.g., enzymatic studies)
• Third-party services (distribution of strains, educational services, training courses, consultancy)
• CNR Third mission (dissemination)

Information on the laboratories in the collection is available here.

Since 2022 the MEGIC Collection participates in the SUS-MIRRI.IT project “Strengthening the MIRRI Italian Research Infrastructure for Sustainable Bioscience and Bioeconomy” Area ESFRI “Health and Food”, granted by the European Commission – NextGenerationEU Code N° IR0000005. Thanks to the project, the catalogue of the collection will be made available online.

In the context of SUS-MIRRI.IT we provide a list of third-party services that can be accessed here.