Budapest Notification No. 363
Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure

Communication by the Government of the Russian Federation Relating to the Acquisition of the Status of International Depositary Authority by the Collection of Eubiotic and Epiphytic Microorganisms (CEEM)

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to notify the receipt, on July 2, 2024, of a communication from the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 28, 2024, relating to the acquisition of the status of International Depositary Authority (IDA) by the Collection of Eubiotic and Epiphytic Microorganisms (CEEM) of Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T.Trubilin, which states that this Depositary Institution is located on the territory of the Russian Federation and includes a Declaration of Assurances to the effect that the Institution complies and will continue to comply with the requirements concerning the acquisition of the status of International Depositary Authority specified in Article 6(2) of the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure done at Budapest on April 28, 1977, and amended on September 26, 1980 (“Budapest Treaty”).

Pursuant to Article 7(2)(b) of the Budapest Treaty, the CEEM shall acquire the status of International Depositary Authority under the Budapest Treaty on August 29, 2024, that is, on the date of publication of the communication by the International Bureau.

August 29, 2024

Text of the Communication by the Government of the Russian Federation Relating to the Acquisition of the Status of International Depositary Authority by the Collection of Eubiotic and Epiphytic Microorganisms (CEEM)

[Original: English]

COMMUNICATION

Collection of Eubiotic and Epiphytic Microorganisms (CEEM) is a unit of the Biotechnology Centre of Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T.Trubilin, belonging to the institution of higher education, founded by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and is under its authority in accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation № 3040-r dated October 31, 2023. The University carries out educational and research activities.

The application has been duly verified and has been found to be in compliance with the provisions of Article 6 (Status of International Depository Authority) and Article 7 (Acquisition of the Status of International Depository Authority) of the Budapest Treaty.

In view of the above, application by the CEEM may kindly be considered for according status of IDA under the Budapest Treaty. It is further indicated that date of recognition of the institute as an IDA shall be the date of publication by the International Bureau as per Article 7 of the Budapest Treaty.

ANNEX

1. Name and Address

Collection of Eubiotic and Epiphytic Microorganisms, CEEM
Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T.Trubilin
13 Kalinina Street, Krasnodar, 350044, Russian Federation.

Telephone:  +7 (861) 221-59-42
Facsimile:  +7 (861) 221-58-85

E-mail: mail@kubsau.ru
Website: https://kubsau.ru/en/

2. Legal status

CEEM, located in Krasnodar, Russian Federation, is a unit of Kuban State Agrarian University named after I. T. Trubilin, belonging to the institution of higher education, founded by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, and is under its authority in accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation № 3040-r dated October 31, 2023. The Kuban State Agrarian University has continuous existence since 1922 and will continue to exist indefinitely. The University carries out educational and research activities. The bioresource fund of microorganisms is based on the CEEM of the Biotechnology Centre of the Kuban State Agrarian University.

In accordance with the Rules for the provision of grants, approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation № 729 dated May 13, 2021, Kuban State Agrarian University is the recipient of a special part of the grant for the development of territorial and sectoral leadership within the "Priority 2030" program for the implementation of breakthrough research and development.

One of the results of applied scientific research is the formed fund of normal microflora of agricultural animals and fish, as well as plants of agro-industrial use, including more than 100 microorganism strains belonging to 40 biological species of bacteria and fungi. The collection fund is regularly replenished.

At present, the CEEM contain 250 microorganism strains belonging to 120 biological species of taxonomic groups of fungi, yeasts and bacteriophages.

3. Scientific standing

According to the information system Elibrary (https://elibrary.ru/org_profile.asp?id=7813) for the last 5 years the staff of Kuban State Agrarian University published scientific publications in the leading scientific editions included in the Russian and international scientific citation databases.

Kuban State Agrarian University has seven dissertation councils in six branches of science and 19 scientific specialties. For the last 10 years 553 candidate and 53 doctoral dissertations were defended. Within the implementation of the policy on integration with scientific and educational organizations, the University participates in joint projects with 36 Russian and 56 foreign universities and research centers. The most significant of them are Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (Germany) – project related to the agrarian economics and management, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Portugal) – project related to agrometeorology and digital technologies in agriculture, San Jorge University (Spain) – project on dual education, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) – project related to biotechnology and plant protection.

4. Equipment, facilities, safety and security

In accordance with Article 6(2)(ii) of the Budapest Treaty, the CEEM has all necessary support to perform its scientific and administrative tasks under the Treaty.

In consistent with Rule 2.2 of the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty work with microorganisms is carried out according to modern microbiological practices that ensure the purity of microbiological cultures and their preservation. Manipulations with cultures are performed in microbiological safety boxes of type A2 BMB-II-"Laminar-C". Cultivation of pure cultures of strains is carried out in microbiological thermostats of FD-53 type, Binder and anaerostats of CO2-incubator S-Bt SmartBioTherm type, Biosan. Species identification of microorganisms is executed by molecular biological methods using PCR analysis, sequencing and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry.

The laboratory premises are functionally divided into a "clean" zone and a zone for work with microorganisms.

Microorganisms are stored in two systems: cryopreservation with storage at minus 85 °C and lyophilic drying with storage at plus 25 °C. The CEEM is also equipped with general laboratory and auxiliary equipment.

Equipment range

5. Staff

CEEM staff enables it to store the deposited microorganisms in a manner which ensures that they are kept viable and uncontaminated and that sufficient measures are taken to reduce to a minimum the risk of loss of deposited microorganisms. In addition, CEEM staff is specially trained to carry out scientific and administrative tasks, as specified in Article 6(2)(ii) of the Budapest Treaty, i.e.:

- General coordination and management;
- Collection of samples and isolation of microorganisms;
- Preservation and viability testing of microorganisms;
- Scientific studies: identification, classification and characterization of bacteria, fungi and yeasts;
- Administrative tasks relating to the deposit and distribution of microorganisms;
- Equipment maintenance.

CEEM staff have appropriate advanced trainings and capacity-building activities related to their professional functions and duties.

CEEM staff has repeatedly and successfully deposited its own strains in Russian Collection of Microorganisms (VKM, IDA under the Budapest Treaty) of the G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences in order to implement the national patent procedure.

CEEM staff list

6. Kind of microorganisms accepted for deposit

At present, the CEEM containes 250 microorganism strains belonging to 120 biological species of taxonomic groups of fungi, yeasts and bacteriophages.

The CEEM accepts for deposit non-pathogenic for humans and animals microorganisms belonging to aerobic and facultative-anaerobic species of bacteria, fungi (including yeasts), actinomycetes and bacteriophages. It shall be possible to examine their viability and store them as provided for in the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty.

7. Official languages

The official language of the CEEM is Russian.

8. Technical Requirements and Procedures

Under Rule 6.3(a) of the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty, the CEEM requires that:

- the microorganism be deposited in the form and quantity necessary for the purposes of the Budapest Treaty and the Regulations;
- a form established by the CEEM and duly completed by the depositor for the purposes of the administrative procedures of such authority must be furnished;
- the written statement referred to in Rule 6.1(a) and 6.2(a) must be drafted correctly in Russian;
- the fee for storage referred to in rule 12.1(a)(i) must be paid;
- the depositor must obtain necessary permission for transportation and deposit as per applicable law.

In accordance with the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty, the CEEM will:

- Test the viability and morphology of each deposit and ensure the preservation thereof.
- Issue receipt, viability statement and other official notifications, where appropriate.
 Comply with the secrecy requirements under Rule 9.2 of the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty.
- Furnish the samples under the conditions as per procedure provided in Rule 11 of the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty.

9. Schedule of fees

*  payment is made in RUB at the exchange rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation on the date of the invoice.