It’s a bird...it’s a plane...it’s... the Brazilian Centre for Biological Material!

The Brazilian Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI) reports today ‘good news for biotechnology researchers’. In the present day, around 9am (local time), starts the construction of the Brazilian Centre for Biological Material (CBMB) in Xerém, district of Duque de Caxias (RJ), Brazil.

This is the result of a partnership between INPI and the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro). The CBMB will be a source of reference for biological material -- keeping microorganisms and cell cultures for patent applications.

According to the Brazilian Industrial Property Law (Lei nº 9279), Article 24, (sole paragraph) it is essential to deposit biological material at an accredited institution of biological material essential to a patent application. There is no such accredited institution in Latin America and CBMB will assume this role. Therefore, it is mentioned that “the process will be simpler and cheaper”.

In addition, the Centre will also implement a Compliance Assessment Program to meet the international safety and traceability of materials available. Moreover, Brazil is considering joining the Budapest Treaty, with the intention that the centre be recognized as an International Depository.

The beginning of business is planned for 2012.