MIRRI-IT is a Joint Research Unit (JRU) for the implementation of the Italian node of MIRRI (http://www.mirri-it.it/). It was recently founded by the Universities of Turin, of Perugia, and of Modena and Reggio Emilia, the University Hospital San Martino of Genoa and the Italian National Research Council. Beside the creation of the Italian node of MIRRI, the JRU aims at the development of a tight network of Italian collections of microbial resources. The mission is to overcome fragmentation in availability of resources and services, enhancing the quality management system of the collections while focusing on needs and challenges of the stakeholders interested in the biotechnological transfer of these resources.