OECD Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres

OECD Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres

In order to meet modern demands for the further advancement of biotechnology and life sciences, the OECD in 2001 introduced a new concept of repositories and providers of high quality biological materials and information: Biological Resource Centres (BRCs). BRCs are considered to be one of the key elements for sustainable international scientific infrastructure, which is necessary to underpin successful delivery of the benefits of biotechnology, whether within the health sector, the industrial sector or other sectors, and in turn ensure that these advances help drive growth.

As a step forward, in 2001 experts from OECD countries came together and agreed a consensus report that called upon national governments to undertake a number of actions to bring the BRC concept into being in concert with the international scientific community.

This report presents the outcome of discussions held by the OECD member countries, together with a number of key partner countries, under the auspices of an expert Task Force established by the OECD Working Party on Biotechnology, following recommendations made in the 2001 report. Specifically, a series of best practices for BRCs were developed in extensive consultation with the scientific community.