Overview of AR Isolate Bank

The AR Isolate Bank is a centralized repository of microbial pathogens with well-characterized resistance profiles that are assembled by CDC in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The AR Bank is available to support and advance development of diagnostic devices and antimicrobial drug products. The AR Isolate Bank also supports the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria [63 pages]by advancing the development of diagnostic tests to identify and characterize resistant bacteria, and by accelerating research and development for new antibiotics. See more information on CDC’s efforts to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria on CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative page.

The AR Isolate Bank includes collections of bacterial pathogens that are associated with known or emerging resistance mechanisms. Since its launch in July 2015, the AR Bank continues to grow and will eventually include genera and species such as Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Salmonella.

Each pathogen listed on this web site includes information regarding its susceptibility and/or resistance profile(s), known resistance biomarkers, isolate characteristics, and associated data in PDF.

Use this web site to search through pathogen panels, find additional information about the available isolates, and find procedures for requesting panels.

Other Resources

Within the U.S. Military Health System, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) maintains a collection of well-characterized resistant isolates collected from participating military hospitals through its Multidrug-resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN). More information and contact information can be found on the MRSN website.

The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) maintains a Virtual Biorepository that provides investigators with access to clinically well-characterized Gram-positive and Gram- negative bacteria for the development of diagnostic tests, novel antimicrobial compounds and for studies evaluating mechanisms of resistance.  More information can be found on the ARLG’s website under Virtual Biorepository.