Your Gateway to the UK’s Microbial Vault
Thousands of strains, ready to license. Sourced, AI-analysed, and delivered.
Thousands of strains, ready to license. Sourced, AI-analysed, and delivered.
Faster access.
Smarter discovery.
Scalable impact.
Faster access. Smarter discovery. Scalable impact.
Strain Vaults connects researchers and bioindustry to high-value microbial strains through a national platform that sources, analyses, and delivers.
Strain Vaults connects researchers and bioindustry to high-value microbial strains through a national platform that sources, analyses, and delivers.
Our Answer To The Biobanking Gap
The future of biotech is being held back by something invisible: broken microbial access.
Across the UK, world-changing ideas in medicine, agriculture, energy, and environmental restoration are stalling… not because the researches and innovators aren’t ready, but because the microbes aren’t.
Across the UK, world-changing ideas in medicine, agriculture, energy, and environmental restoration are stalling… not because the researches and innovators aren’t ready, but because the microbes aren’t.
DELAYS
Researchers face up to 12-week delays for international strains.
DELAYS
Researchers face up to 12-week delays for international strains.
DELAYS
Researchers face up to 12-week delays for international strains.
COSTS
Importing microbes is costly, complex, and blocked by red tape.
COSTS
Importing microbes is costly, complex, and blocked by red tape.
COSTS
Importing microbes is costly, complex, and blocked by red tape.
ACCESSIBILITY
Valuable strains sit idle in scattered freezers - unshared, uncharacterised, and inaccessible.
ACCESSIBILITY
Valuable strains sit idle in scattered freezers - unshared, uncharacterised, and inaccessible.
ACCESSIBILITY
Valuable strains sit idle in scattered freezers - unshared, uncharacterised, and inaccessible.
INFRASTRUCTURE
There’s no centralised UK infrastructure to connect collections to those who need them most.
INFRASTRUCTURE
There’s no centralised UK infrastructure to connect collections to those who need them most.
INFRASTRUCTURE
There’s no centralised UK infrastructure to connect collections to those who need them most.
The result?
Innovations that could treat disease, clean our oceans, produce sustainable fuels, or transform agriculture aren’t happening fast enough - or at all.
Innovations that could treat disease, clean our oceans, produce sustainable fuels, or transform agriculture aren’t happening fast enough - or at all.
Labs build experiments around what they can get, not what they should. Startups waste months navigating customs instead of developing breakthroughs. And entire microbial collections remain disconnected, their microbial gold gathering dust.
Labs build experiments around what they can get, not what they should. Startups waste months navigating customs instead of developing breakthroughs. And entire microbial collections remain disconnected, their microbial gold gathering dust.
OUR SOLUTION
How We Are Different
How We Are Different
Strain Vaults changes how microbes are accessed. Here are some of our key differentiators:
Strain Vaults changes how microbes are accessed. Here are some of our key differentiators:
SOURCING AT SCALE
We unlock thousands of forgotten strains from R&D collections - offering royalties and recognition instead of charging upfront.
SOURCING AT SCALE
We unlock thousands of forgotten strains from R&D collections - offering royalties and recognition instead of charging upfront.
SOURCING AT SCALE
We unlock thousands of forgotten strains from R&D collections - offering royalties and recognition instead of charging upfront.
AI-POWERED DISCOVERY
Gain real-time online access to accounting and tax data, invoicing tools, documents and automatic bank reconciliations.
AI-POWERED DISCOVERY
Gain real-time online access to accounting and tax data, invoicing tools, documents and automatic bank reconciliations.
AI-POWERED DISCOVERY
Gain real-time online access to accounting and tax data, invoicing tools, documents and automatic bank reconciliations.
BIOPROSPECTING
We actively collect novel microbes from UK biomes, focusing on biodiversity hotspots with potential in AMR, agriculture, and industrial biotech.
BIOPROSPECTING
We actively collect novel microbes from UK biomes, focusing on biodiversity hotspots with potential in AMR, agriculture, and industrial biotech.
BIOPROSPECTING
We actively collect novel microbes from UK biomes, focusing on biodiversity hotspots with potential in AMR, agriculture, and industrial biotech.
NEXT-DAY UK DELIVERY
No more waiting. If it's not in our catalogue? We'll go find it for you.
NEXT-DAY UK DELIVERY
No more waiting. If it's not in our catalogue? We'll go find it for you.
NEXT-DAY UK DELIVERY
No more waiting. If it's not in our catalogue? We'll go find it for you.
We go where others don’t - and unlock what others can’t.
We go where others don’t - and unlock what others can’t.
Most microbial libraries are fragmented, outdated, or locked behind institutional silos. We built Strain Vaults to change that from the ground up.
We Unlock
Forgotten Collections
Across the UK, universities and research institutes hold thousands of strains that were isolated, frozen… and essentially forgotten.
We work directly with these institutions to bring their collections back to life - offering academic credit, future royalties, and nationwide impact in return.
No upfront fees. No IP grabs. Just shared value and shared progress.
Are you a university, research institute,
or R&D company with underutilised strains?
How We Do It
// 1
OF 2
We Unlock
Forgotten Collections
Across the UK, universities and research institutes hold thousands of strains that were isolated, frozen… and essentially forgotten.
We work directly with these institutions to bring their collections back to life - offering academic credit, future royalties, and nationwide impact in return.
No upfront fees. No IP grabs. Just shared value and shared progress.
Are you a university, research institute,
or R&D company with underutilised strains?
We Unlock
Forgotten Collections
Across the UK, universities and research institutes hold thousands of strains that were isolated, frozen… and essentially forgotten.
We work directly with these institutions to bring their collections back to life - offering academic credit, future royalties, and nationwide impact in return.
No upfront fees. No IP grabs. Just shared value and shared progress.
Are you a university, research institute,
or R&D company with underutilised strains?
How We Do It
// 1
OF 2
Products & Services
The Strain Vaults
Products and Services
The Strain Vaults
Products and Services
Microbial Licensing
Microbial Licensing
License commercially viable strains from our growing catalogue or work with us to find the exact phenotype or function you need. All strains are quality-verified, metadata-rich, and delivered next-day within the UK.
License commercially viable strains from our growing catalogue or work with us to find the exact phenotype or function you need. All strains are quality-verified, metadata-rich, and delivered next-day within the UK.
License commercially viable strains from our growing catalogue or work with us to find the exact phenotype or function you need. All strains are quality-verified, metadata-rich, and delivered next-day within the UK.
Quality-Verified
Quality-Verified
Metadata-Rich
Metadata-Rich
Next-Day Delivery
Next-Day Delivery
Isolation & Characterisation Services
Isolation & Characterisation Services
Need help analysing or preparing your own strains? We provide end-to-end microbiology services backed by expert labs and our in-house AI assay tools.
Need help analysing or preparing your own strains? We provide end-to-end microbiology services backed by expert labs and our in-house AI assay tools.
Microbial isolation from environmental or synthetic samples
Microbial isolation from environmental or synthetic samples
Phenotypic characterisation and functional assays
Phenotypic characterisation and functional assays
Genomic sequencing and trait prediction
Genomic sequencing and trait prediction
Perfect for research teams, startups, or industry players looking to validate leads fast.
Perfect for research teams, startups, or industry players looking to validate leads fast.
Microbial Isolation
Microbial Isolation
Phenotypic Characterisation
Phenotypic Characterisation
Genomic Sequencing
Genomic Sequencing
Biobanking & Preservation
Biobanking & Preservation
We offer secure, long-term storage and catalogue management for microbial collections.
We offer secure, long-term storage and catalogue management for microbial collections.
Cryopreservation and quality control
Cryopreservation and quality control
Full digital metadata registration
Full digital metadata registration
Optional inclusion in our licensing platform for revenue generation
Optional inclusion in our licensing platform for revenue generation
Cryopreservation
Cryopreservation
Metadata Registration
Metadata Registration
Revenue Generation
Revenue Generation
AI-Powered Assay-as-a-Service (coming soon)
Test your own strains using our proprietary in silico screening platform.
Test your own strains using our proprietary in silico screening platform.
Once fully deployed, our AI virtual assay tool will be available as a standalone service giving you access to powerful trait prediction tools without needing to license or submit strains to our catalogue.
Once fully deployed, our AI virtual assay tool will be available as a standalone service giving you access to powerful trait prediction tools without needing to license or submit strains to our catalogue.
Upload genomic data to predict enzyme activity, metabolite production, and therapeutic or agricultural potential.
Upload genomic data to predict enzyme activity, metabolite production, and therapeutic or agricultural potential.
Screen entire collections in hours - at a fraction of the cost of traditional wet-lab assays
Screen entire collections in hours - at a fraction of the cost of traditional wet-lab assays
AI PLATFORM DEEP DIVE
Turning Genomic Data Into Discovery
Turning Genomic Data Into Discovery
Turning Genomic Data
Into Discovery
Across the UK, thousands of microbial strains sit idle in freezers - uncharacterised, underutilised, and overlooked.
Across the UK, thousands of microbial strains sit idle in freezers - uncharacterised, underutilised, and overlooked.
Why?
Because traditional assays are slow, expensive, and highly selective. As a result, only a tiny fraction of collections are ever explored for real-world applications.
Because traditional assays are slow, expensive, and highly selective. As a result, only a tiny fraction of collections are ever explored for real-world applications.
Strain Vaults is changing that.
Strain Vaults is changing that.
We’re building a virtual AI assay platform that can screen entire microbial collections in silico - rapidly predicting functional and commercial traits from DNA alone.
We’re building a virtual AI assay platform that can screen entire microbial collections in silico - rapidly predicting functional and commercial traits from DNA alone.
Interested in licensing or contributing to the platform?
Interested in licensing or contributing to the platform?
CUTTING-EDGE FEATURES
What Our AI Platform Enables:
What Our AI Platform Enables:
Predicts enzyme activity, metabolite production, and therapeutic potential
Predicts enzyme activity, metabolite production, and therapeutic potential
Surfaces unexpected leads for applied R&D
Surfaces unexpected leads for applied R&D
Accelerates licensing by making strains discoverable and ready to deploy
Accelerates licensing by making strains discoverable and ready to deploy
UNMATCHED BENEFITS
Scientific Advantages:
Scientific Advantages:
Faster than wet-lab screening - assess entire collections in hours
Faster than wet-lab screening - assess entire collections in hours
Dramatically reduces costs - lower barrier to discovery by 90%+
Dramatically reduces costs - lower barrier to discovery by 90%+
Opens up previously inaccessible collections for collaboration, licensing, and impact
Opens up previously inaccessible collections for collaboration, licensing, and impact
Our Articles
Latest News From Strain Vaults
Get in Touch
Contact Us
Strain Vaults is building the UK’s first centralised microbial biobank. A discovery platform that turns underused microbial collections into scalable scientific and commercial assets.
Contribute to the Vault
Contribute to the Vault
Contribute to the Vault
Are you a university, R&D team, or independent researcher with microbial strains sitting idle?
We partner with contributors across academia and industry to unlock new value from underutilised collections — offering royalties, credit, and exposure through our national platform.
Use Our
Services or
License a Strain
Use Our
Services or
License a Strain
Use Our Services or License a Strain
Looking for a specific microbial function? Need AI-powered analysis or secure biobanking?
Explore our services or get support sourcing, screening, or licensing high-potential strains for your next breakthrough.
Just Curious? Let’s Talk.
Just Curious? Let’s Talk.
Just Curious? Let’s Talk.
Have a question about our platform, our research, or our mission?
We’re always open to new conversations and collaborations - whether you’re an investor, student, policymaker, or fellow microbe enthusiast.