What Is in IBWF's Fungal Strain Collection?

IBWF's collection is a large, non-profit fungal strain library with high diversity. According to the institute, it includes ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, zygomycetes and imperfect fungi, as well as coprophiles and endophytes. For each strain, fungal extracts and a number of its enzymes are available for initial investigations into biological activity.

What groups of fungi are represented

The collection is not limited to one ecological or taxonomic group. IBWF describes it as covering:

• Ascomycetes — sac fungi
• Basidiomycetes — club fungi, the group that includes Strobilurus tenacellus, the source of strobilurin A
• Zygomycetes — a group of lower fungi
• Imperfect fungi — fungi without a known sexual stage
• Coprophiles — fungi associated with dung
• Endophytes — fungi living inside plant tissues

This breadth matters because different fungal groups produce different classes of metabolites. A screen that only covers common soil basidiomycetes will miss chemistry found in endophytes or coprophiles.

What is available for research use

The collection is not just a catalogue of strains. IBWF states that:

• Fungal extracts from each strain are available for initial investigations of biological activity.
• A number of enzymes from these strains are also available for initial studies.
• The strains and their metabolites are offered as a basis for collaboration projects in pharmaceutical and agricultural applications, with partners in industry and academia.

So a typical starting point is an extract screen: you test extracts for a biological effect, then work back toward the compound and its molecular target. IBWF lists identification and characterization of molecular targets of active compounds, biosynthesis of specific substances, and elucidation of biosynthetic pathway regulation among its fields of competence.

Why this collection has a track record

IBWF was founded in 1998 as a non-profit research institute by professors T. and H. Anke, and its work is documented in over 400 publications and 20 patents on fungal natural products and microbial research.

The best-known outcome is the strobilurin fungicides. In 1977, Anke and Steglich described strobilurin A, a strongly antifungal antibiotic from liquid cultures of Strobilurus tenacellus, a basidiomycete growing on pine cones. In 1981 the molecular target was elucidated: inhibition of fungal respiration. First synthetic derivatives followed in 1986, and strobilurins are now used worldwide as agricultural fungicides, marketed by BASF and others.

That example shows the practical path the collection supports: a fungal strain → an active extract → an identified compound → a molecular target → a synthetic derivative that reaches the market.

When this collection is relevant to you

The collection is a fit if you are looking for:

• New lead structures for pharmaceutical or agricultural applications
• Diverse fungal material rather than a narrow set of model organisms
• Extracts and enzymes for early-stage activity testing
• A collaboration partner with experience in natural product research and test system development

It is less suited if you need a fully characterized compound with published bioactivity data for every strain — the extracts are described as starting points for initial investigations, not as finished products.

How to take the next step

Because access runs through collaboration rather than an open public catalogue, the practical route is to contact IBWF with a defined research question: the biological activity you want to test for, the application area (pharmaceutical or agricultural), and whether you need extracts, enzymes, or both. IBWF's stated experience also covers microbial enzymes for biotransformation, bioremediation and other industrial purposes, so enzyme-focused inquiries are within scope as well.