The Yugra State University Biological Collecion (YSU BC) currently stores about 20 000 specimens of fungi, lichens, mosses, hepatics and vascular plants. It was initially based on private collections of several researchers working on biodiversity assessment in Yugra State University. The collection is registered in Index Herbariorum since 2016 with an acronym «YSU». In 2017 YSU BC is registered as a data publisher in GBIF.

In 2017 YSU BC is registered as data publisher in **GBIF**

The main goal of the YSU BC is to develop reference library of regional biodiversity, support research in systematics, ecology, phylogeny and applied disciplines, and manage associated biodiversity information in the Northern West Siberia. For that purpose, we are developing conditions for physical storage of samples, facilitating their scientific analysis, and applying modern computer technologies for storage, analysis and distribution of collection data.

We encourage researchers working in the area to access their biological collections in YSU BC. A rule for the visitors of the Mukhrino field station of Yugra State University is to share their collected materials with the host university.

Since 2021, the collection has been undergoing a revision using molecular methods. We have modern molecular laboratory equipment at our disposal. By 2026, approximately 1,000 sequences have been obtained for samples from the fungal and lichen collections, which are deposited in the relevant databases (Specify, GenBank, GBIF).

Since 2025, a collection of living fungal cultures, including pure cultures of saprotrophs, bog saprotrophs, and ectomycorrhizal fungi, has been actively developed.

Online database of collection in Specify

The database of YSU BC is developed using Specify software. The Specify Web Portal available for the database search, browsing the map and images, and download (Mycoportal, Western Siberia collection portal). The database is shared through GBIF by IPT software using MySQL queries to each individual collection, including images of specimens.

The Mycological collections portal for West Siberia

The taxonomical structure of the collection includes

Fungi – about 13 K specimen (fruiting structures in dried state with associated macro- and microphotographs and descriptions stored in the data base) (YSU-F collection, Elena Zvyagina collection)
Bryophytes – about 6000 specimen of mosses and hepatics (dried collection) (YSU-MH),
Vascular plants educational collection – about 300 specimen (herbarium sheets) (YSU-H),
Lichens – about 3 K specimens (YSU-L)
Fungal culture collection — about 250 strains (YSU-C)

The researchers currently maintaining the collections of particular groups of organisms

Elena Lapshina – bryophytes (e_lapshina@ugrasu.ru)
Galina Ganasevich – vascular plats (g_ganasevich@ugrasu.ru)
Alexandra Mingalimova – lichens (a_mingalimova@ugrasu.ru)
Nina Filippova – fungi (n_filippova@ugrasu.ru)

Last update 16/01/2026