CBGP is a research centre well-knowned for its expertise in the systematics, genetics and ecology of groups of interest (in agronomy, human health or biodiversity). This expertise is based on collections of specimens, tissues and DNA belonging mainly to acarids, insects and small mammals (more than 1 million samples).
This technical platform is a member of BRC4Env, the Environnement cornerstone of the national RARe infrastructure: Resources in Agronomy for Research.
For any information, consultation request, loan or sample transfer, please contact us: colcbgp@inrae.fr
The Continental Arthropod Collection is made up of specimens collected all over the world for over a century, and continues to be enriched by collections from INRAE, IRD, CIRAD and Institut Agro (Montpellier) research teams, as well as private collections purchased or donated. The collection includes more than a million specimens preserved in dry conditions, mounted on slides or stored in fluids (mainly ethanol), as well as more than 10,000 DNA extracts stored at -20°C. It includes reference collections for various groups of arthropods of major agronomic importance in Europe (crop pests and auxiliaries): beetles (including the « Gruardet » collection with 85% of France’s beetle species), aphids (« Leclant » collection), leafminers (Agromyzidae) and parasitoids (Tachinidae), thrips, sawflies, leafrollers, chrysopes, chalcid hymenopterans, predatory mites (Phytoseidae) and many tropical insects, mainly from tropical Africa. The collection ranks first in the world for fig wasps and for Tetranychus mites from Madagascar and New Caledonia. It ranks second in Europe for chalcid mites and Phytoseid mites collected from all over the world.
The Small Mammal Collection and their parasites comprises over 180,000 samples made up of naturalised specimens, osteological parts and fluid tissues (organs, blood, DNA and RNA, etc.) for studies in integrative systematics, evolutionary ecology and epidemiology within a One Health framework.
The samples collected since the middle of the 20th century cover France, Western Europe and Africa (including Madagascar); rodents (families Cricetidae and Muridae) are the most represented group, in line with the fields of study and skills of the INRAE and IRD research teams responsible for these collections at CBGP. Soricomorphs (shrews in particular) and chiropterans are also present in large numbers.
The « Collections » technical platform has 1) a 300 m2 blind, air-conditioned collections room, specially designed for the conservation of dry specimens, 2) several rooms equipped with refrigeration equipment dedicated to the conservation of tissues, alcohol samples and DNA, 3) several workstations equipped for the preparation of specimens using noxious chemicals (fume hoods, suction walls, etc.). ), 4) a fully-equipped consultation room and, finally, 5) an imaging laboratory housing image acquisition and processing systems (Keyence VHX-5000 digital microscope, digital macro camera).
