ATCC is a private nonprofit organization in the biotechnology field whose mission focuses on the acquisition, authentication, production, preservation, development and distribution of standard reference microorganisms, cell lines and other materials for research in the life sciences. Established in 1914 as the American Type Culture Collection and originally incorporated by scientists in 1925[not verified in body] to serve as a worldwide repository and distribution center for cultures of microorganisms, ATCC has developed into the global leader[citation needed] in research and development expertise for identifying, characterizing, preserving and distributing a wide range of cell lines and microbes. Aside from maintaining the biorepository, an R&D program and a product development team, ATCC also competes for federal grants and contracts and engages in partnerships and collaborations with academic institutions and private companies.