Review of Indicators in the Context of Biobanking.

Biobanks that intend to serve as high-performing and stable elements of an innovative research ecosystem must have an established system for regular measurement and evaluation using appropriately set indicators. The main objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of indicators in the context of biobanking, with new perspectives to highlight the existence of numerous options and introduce indicators that could help overcome problems associated with the difficult assessment of the impact of biobanks. A literature review was performed to identify publications relevant to the topic of indicators in biobanking.

Characterization of microorganisms isolated from lignite excavated from the Záhorie coal mine (southwestern Slovakia).

Microorganisms were isolated from lignite freshly excavated in the Záhorie coal mine (southwestern Slovakia) under conditions excluding contamination with either soil or air-borne microorganisms. The isolates represented both Prokarya and Eukarya (fungi). All were able to grow on standard media, although some microorganisms were unstable and became extinct during storage of coal samples.