The Health Protection Agency Culture Collections is a not-for-profit strategic business unit within the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Our role is to preserve and distribute authenticated cell lines and microbial strains of known provenance for use in medical science and laboratory healthcare. By so doing the HPA Culture Collections helps to assure the quality and validity of these activities and underpins the healthcare science infrastructure in a manner commensurate with our position within the Health Protection Agency.

The formation of the HPA provided the opportunity for these four UK culture collections to integrate as a single business unit, now known as the HPA Culture Collections:

The National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) formed in 1920.

The European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC) formed in 1984.

The National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi (NCPF) formed in 1946.

The National Collection of Pathogenic Viruses (NCPV), formed in 2001.

The HPA Culture Collections offers a wide range of products and services, which can be viewed at www.hpacultures.org.uk, including:

Products

• Bacteria, Plasmids, Mycoplasmas, Bacteriophages & Transposons
• Cell Lines & Hybridomas
• Viruses
• Fungi
• LENTICULE Discs
• DNA 

Services

• Cell Culture Management Services
• Contract Cell Culture
• Assay Ready Cells
• Cell Line Identity Verification
• DNA Extraction
• Genetic Support Services
• Contract Freeze-Drying
• Mycoplasma Testing & Eradication
• NCPV Contract Services
• Catalogue Deposits
• Patent Deposits
• Safe Deposits
• Sterility Testing
• Training

For more information on the HPA Culture Collections and to view the products, services and technical information available visit the HPA Culture Collections website at www.hpacultures.org.uk