About us

    Southeast Asia ranks one of the most biodiversity-rich regions in the world. ASEAN member countries are therefore blessed with abundant bioresources, especially microorganisms. Microorganisms are an infinite vast source for innovation, able to provide solutions to many of today’s global challenges, including energy security, food scarcity, climate change and pollutions. Microorganisms have applications in various industries ranging from food, to medicine, chemicals and agriculture, and thus are considered a vital foundation for modern sustainable economy, namely bio-, circular and green economy.
    Recognising the potential application of microorganisms, many ASEAN member countries are developing roadmap to further the development of bioeconomy, forging the innovation and value creation from existing economic crops and using microorganisms.  Every ASEAN member country is engaging in research into microbial utilisation in various degrees, some looking into the development of biopesticides, while others exploring the potential of microorganisms in pharmaceutical or green industrial applications.
    To strengthen ASEAN research community towards sustainable use of microbial resources, ASEAN Centre on Microbial Utilisation (ACMU) was established under the auspices of Sub Committee on Biotechnology (SCB), one of the sub committees in ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI) to enhance the research and capacity building of ASEAN in all facets relating to microbial utilisation with the concept of sharing knowledge and infrastructure for the advancement of regional bioeconomy. The centre also serves as an ASEAN gateway for collaboration with international partners to harness the power of microorganisms to develop solutions for global challenges.
    ACMU was proposed following the success of ASEAN Network on Microbial Utilisation (AnMicro) launched in 2014 establishing an ASEAN Microbial Database (AmiBase) and creating a strong connection among institutes in ASEAN for knowledge-sharing and capacity building. The centre plans to offer additional component of infrastructure sharing, thus truly promoting collaborative research and accelerate innovations. ACMU, therefore, incorporates AnMicro as part of its function.
    ACMU currently functions as a virtual centre with a secretariat office based at Thailand Bioresource Research Centre (TBRC) of the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand.

ASEAN Centre on Microbial Utilisation (ACMU) is a platform to foster collaboration among ASEAN researchers and between ASEAN researchers and other international partners in the field of microbiology and microbial utilisation in supporting bioeconomy.