Government to Establish Microbiome Resource Center... "Distribution to Microbial Industry"

Utilizing Technology in Food, Feed, and Cosmetics
Over 3,500 Data Points Secured by 2023
Discovering Microorganisms Through Data for Industrial Distribution

Health functional foods utilizing the microbiome. (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 22nd that it will invest 30 billion KRW to build a Microbiome Resource Center by 2023. Microbiome refers to microbial communities that coexist with humans, animals, and plants, and recently this technology has been applied in fields such as food, feed, fertilizer, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

To establish the center, a project budget of 30 billion KRW (50% national and 50% local funds) will be invested by 2023. Jeollabuk-do Province and Sunchang-gun County will implement the project.

The center will be a specialized institution for collecting and preserving physical resources and analyzing the genomic information of microbial communities. Construction will begin on the 23rd, with completion planned for the first half of 2023, and operations starting in the second half of the same year. The center will be equipped with research facilities such as microbial genome analysis equipment, ultra-low temperature preservation facilities, and animal laboratories, as well as spaces for companies and research institutes to move in, meeting rooms, and exhibition and promotion rooms.

By 2023, a basic microbiome database (DB) will be established. To this end, more than 3,500 microbial samples will be collected from soil, plants, animal feces, and food, with plans to increase by more than 1,000 samples annually. Based on the resources and data collected after the center’s establishment, microbes with useful functions will be discovered and distributed to the industry. The center plans to support the development of convergent technologies by providing companies with data sharing and analysis tools, as well as education on data utilization methods.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "Microbiome is a globally recognized emerging industry, and leading overseas companies are investing heavily in securing excellent microbial resources and building big data." He added, "Through the center to be established this time, we will create a core foundation to support the activation of related research, product, and service development."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.