This application represents a consortium of clinicians and researchers from NSW Health Pathology, WSLHD and Westmead Institute for Medical Research aiming to integrate the existing microbial collections to create a state-wide dedicated repository with a standardised governance as basis for diagnostics, epidemiology and research of human microbial pathogens, bio-surveillance and biosecurity, an under-researched area. An integrated interdisciplinary biobank enables a substantial improvement of the state’s research capacity. The integrated microbial biobank will be the fundamental resource for the extended demand of reference materials, genomics and surveillance of microbial pathogens from clinicians and researchers across the NSW-Newcastle region and beyond.