Highlight among the heritage preservation actions of Fiocruz, the Biological Collections under the custody of the IOC conserve millions of samples. The collections include the most complete entomological collection in Latin America, microbiological collections (of fungi, bacteria and protozoa), zoological collections (of helminths and molluscs, among others), as well as a collection in the area of ​​pathology. The Microbiological Collections are the basis for structuring the Center for Biological Resources in Health (CRB-Saúde), which is currently being organized.

The oldest date back to the beginning of the XNUMXth century, when, during scientific expeditions, researchers from the Institute collected and analyzed specimens from different regions of Brazil. Some of the Collections represent the genetic biodiversity of bacteria, protozoa, fungi and vectors of medical importance.

Others preserve the epidemiological memory of important diseases, preserve variations in etiological agents over time and the diverse genetic populations of organisms related to public health research.

There are also those that keep microbiological collections with potential for the production of new inputs of biotechnological interest.

Directorate of Reference Laboratories, Outpatient Clinics and Biological Collections
Eduardo de Mello Volotão