David Smith PhD FRSB joined CAB International (CABI) in 1974 as a preservation technologist working in the Commonwealth Mycological Institute. Over a 45-year career he developed expertise in the operation and management of living microbial resource collections, preservation technology and development of operational procedures for BRCs. He gained a PhD with Imperial College London University in the long-term preservation of fungi, becoming Curator of CABI Genetic Resources Collection in 1987.
Research areas include the freeze-drying of microorganisms, the optimisation of cryopreservation techniques and cryogenic light microscopy for fungi. He has a keen interest in policy concerning microorganisms’ access, handling and use, codes of practice for working within the Convention of Biological Diversity and the production of Quality Management Systems for Microbial Resource Collections. He was appointed Director of Biological Resources in 2006 with the role of operations manager for CABI’s Bioservices, responsible for the collection, identification, industrial services and a small research team. Now focused on ABS policy, networking and project development. He played a key role in the OECD Biological Resource Centre (BRC) Initiative Task Force, and he has gained relevant global infrastructure experience as General Manager of the Global Biological Resource Centre Network (GBRCN) Demonstration Project (seconded to Germany for 3 years).
In the past he has been President of the World Federation for Culture Collections WFCC (2004-2010) and is a former member of the UK Delegation to the OECD Biological Resource Centre Initiative Task Force. David has been an instrumental figure in the development of the Global Biological Resource Centre Network and won the J. Roger Porter Prize of the American Microbiology Society in 2011. He has expertise in Access and Benefit Sharing within the CBD regarding microorganisms and Biosecurity.
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