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UK Health Security Agency

The National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi (NCPF)

We are the United Kingdom's only culture collection specializing in fungi pathogenic to humans and animals

NCPF is one of four Culture Collections of the UK Health Security Agency. Since its inception at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1946, the NCPF has been an integral part of the Mycology Reference Laboratory in Bristol, which means that the expertise is available on site for strain authentication.

At present, the collection holds over 4,500 strains of mold and yeast isolates of clinical significance from Absidia spinosa to Zygowilliopsis californica.

The collection includes dermatophytes and related organisms from the UK and abroad from human and animal infections, including many original type strains, mold strains from sub-cutaneous and deep-seated human and animal infections, pathogenic yeast strains, and strains of dimorphic fungal pathogens. We also provide a range of associated services, including molecular strain typing studies, classical and molecular taxonomic studies, and construction of antibiograms for developmental antifungal drugs.

Microbiological reference material for internal quality control - NCPF LENTICULE® discs are now produced by Merck (previously Sigma-Aldrich). LENTICULE® is a trademark of UKHSA. The method of preparation and the LENTICULE® discs themselves are subject to the International Patent Application published as WO 01/05941.

Antifungal resistance: Candida auris - An emerging fungal pathogen, first isolated from the ear of a patient from Japan in 2009, has been shown to have the ability to readily transfer between hospital patients, setting it apart from the majority of Candida species. The NCPF catalogue contains 21 isolates of C. auris. Minimum inhibitory concentrations data is available for several antifungals, including fluconazole and nystatin, amongst others - view the strains.

Recent type strain: Phialemoniopsis hongkongensis HKU39 - This is the type strain of a recently recognized dematiaceous mold species. Its susceptibility profile has been tested to further extend knowledge on the spectrum of activity of current antifungal agents - view the NCPF 7868 strain.

Novel species: Emarellia grisea and Emarellia paragrisea - Following phylogenetic analyses of strains historically identified as Madurella grisea, two novel species have been identified which are responsible for causing black grain mycetoma. The NCPF collection holds five isolates of E. grisea and one of E. paragrisea.

There are several ways to find out more about NCPF. You can follow us on Twitter, read our latest newsletters or take a look at our brochures.

NCPF is a registered trademark of UK Health Security Agency in the UK. The trademark must not be used without a license agreement. Parties interested in using the trademarks should contact us