Abstract:

Aims: Biological resources are closely related to national economic and social development, and has key strategic value in food security, ecological security and energy security of a country. As a basic component of the ecosystem on earth, microorganisms are of great strategic significance to human’s life and the sustainable development of society. However, due to the lack of a sound system for the preservation, development and protection of strategic resources, many biological resources have been lost overseas through smuggling, entrainment and natural losses. 

Method: Referring to other evaluation systems on biological resources, the assessment method to evaluate the strategic value of microbial resources was established in this study. 

Results: Rare and endangered species, high economic value species, bio-safety species and strategic frontier species were chosen as the four aspects for strategic microbial resources, and a scoring system using the method of weighted assignment is established according to these aspects. The scoring system contains 7 different primary criteria with different weights, i.e., the weight of 25% for National conservation strategy, the weight of 15% for conservation status, population biology and economic value, and the weight of 10% for biosecurity, other value and strategic frontier. Based on the criteria, the strategic categories of 773 microbial species were assessed according to the criteria, of which 502 species were assessed as strategic microorganisms, including 440 species of fungi, 7 of oomycetes, 1 of microspore, 53 of bacteria and 1 of archaea. Besides, an online assessing platform (https://www.casbrc.org/assessment) were established with the function of scoring system for strategic microorganism and query for assessed species. 

Conclusion: The strategic assessment method and the list of strategic microbiol resources were firstly established in our country, which will provide important references for the collection, preservation, management and application of strategic microbial resources in China.

Key words: resource loss, biosafety, industry standard, online assessing platform, strategic value