Services

• Introduction of biological material

GAMET BRC can introduce the tropical seeds that you need. The material must be free from intellectual property rights, but with all the necessary authorisations: material transfer agreement (MTA), minimum information about the material (name, source, etc.), usefulness of resource, etc.

• Shipping biological material

Similarly, GAMET BRC can arrange customers’ seed shipments. Partners abroad must supply an import permit (if necessary) and an MTA for the transfer of biological resources. The seed samples will be transferred with the name of the requested accessions, their viability and the quantities distributed. The maximum processing time by Montpellier TBRC is 20 working days from receipt of the required documents.

• Transit

If a customer wants to send batches of its seeds to one of its partners, Montpellier TBRC can manage phytosanitary procedures, packaging and shipment of the material. The viability analysis of batches may be conducted on request.

• Phytosanitary certificate

In certain cases, a research unit may request Montpellier TRBC to manage the phytosanitary certificate. It will contact the Regional Food Service (SRAL) in order to obtain this document on behalf of the unit. The unit must provide a list of the seeds to be sent, their origin and their destination, and all the documents required.

• Multiplication campaigns

As required, if Montpellier TBRC does not have a sufficient quantity of the requested variety, it can be bred at the most suitable site (Camargue, greenhouses at the Montpellier site, Guadeloupe). Phytosanitary treatments may also be carried out in order to comply with phytosanitary requirements.

• ISO 9001/NF S 96-900 Quality Assurance Audit

In order to help you prepare for the certification of your facility under one or both of these reference systems, the TBRC quality engineer can conduct a “trial” audit to help you identify any work that may not conform, but also the strong points of the quality management system that you have set in place.

Products

• BRC_Tools: a software toolbox for managing genetic diversity for Quality Assurance purposes

BRC_Tools is a secure toolbox for managing all of a BRC’s activities, both for governance aspects (planning, meetings, to do lists, training, etc.) and technical aspects (traceability of exchanges, customer tracking, etc.), according to the quality assurance standards in force for this type of structure (ISO 9001 or NF S 96-900).

• AQ_Tools

This software module, independent of BRC_Tools, enables you to manage all the points required by standard ISO 9001 or NF S 96-900, for document and training aspects, but also for equipment tracking and managing anomalies.

This specific system of information management was first tested within Montpellier TBRC and has proven to be an efficient toolbox that has gradually spread, and is now used in two types of community: the other French plant Biological Resource Centres [BRCs], and facilities aiming for ISO 9001 style quality assurance management. To date, there are 110 sites, hosted on 28 servers and distributed throughout France (both mainland and overseas territories), using one or more modules of this tool.

Training

• ISO 9001v15 quality assurance: principles and implementation.
• Implementation of a CRB under quality assurance: procedures, operating methods and metrology.
• Multiplication, conservation and distribution of tropical seeds as part of a certification procedure: training on site or in Montpellier.
• Legal: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-Rio 92), Nagoya Protocol, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
• Methodology for managing a plant resource collection.