Link to the project Consortium: UNITO

The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) is a linked third party in force of the statute of the Italian Joint Research Unit (JRU) MIRRI-IT aimed at the implementation of the Italian node of MIRRI-ERIC. The JRU is hosted by the University of Turin. UNIMORE houses the agro-food microbial collection Unimore Microbial Culture Collection (UMCC), which offers service for research, teaching, and industrial applications. UMCC holds 2,700 strains including yeasts, lactic bacteria and acetic acid bacteria, isolated from different food and beverages. UMCC harbours competences on functional starter cultures for food and industrial fermentation processes. It also combines field experiments, isolation and identification of microorganisms, qualitative and quantitative studies of microbial functionalities by modelling expertise. UNIMORE aims to support in the implementation of joint activities aimed at consolidation, strengthening and expansion of the MIRRI research infrastructure, both at national and European level, and its impact in terms of science and innovation, even participating jointly or individually to research funding programmes. It is an internationally recognised biobank with specific skills and expertise, very useful for the project and a member of the European Culture Collection Organization (ECCO) and the World Federation Culture Collection (WFCC).