ISO4-H5 was isolated in a PGgRc-supported project. Later contracts contain BIP tables that include Tangible property labelled “Rumen Cluster C cultures PGgRc (contract METH0701)”, and ISO4-H5 was one of the three Rumen Cluster C cultures we isolated under that PGgRc-funded work.

AbM4 is described as “Culture was PGgRc BIP” in BIP tables where it’s genome is listed as Tangible property. It is therefore considered part of the Tangible property labelled elsewhere in BIP tables as “Methanogen cultures assigned to PGgRc at commencement or isolated during PGgRc-funded research”. The study from which material was obtained from which it was isolated was published in 1999, prior to the assignment of strains as BIP. I have never seen a list of the culture collection that formed this culture BIP.

In both cases (Rumen Cluster C cultures” and “Methanogen cultures”, the following is stated in BIP tables:

IP Rights
What kind of IP rights does the owner expect to exert?	
Ownership and control of distribution of cultures

Status of BIP
Does MPI and/or PGgRc have an unrestricted right to use it?
All rights of both parties are subject to the VCA agreement.

Regards,

Peter