Report of the Workshop on Integration of Microbial Databases
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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Goals
3.0 IMD Prototypes Demonstration
4.0 Recommended Activities
4.1 Organization and Administration
4.2 System Design and Implementation
4.3 Data to be Integrated
4.3.1 First Priority Data
a. Nomenclatural Database
b. Phylogenetic Trees
c. Phenotypic Data
4.3.2 Existing Databases
a. Publicly Accessible On-Line Databases
b. Independently Curated, Specific Databases
4.3.3 Databases Needing Development
a. ARDRA
b. Habitat
c. Databases Obtained with Commercial Test Kits or Systems
d. Images
4.3.4 Other Groups Which Have Microbial Strain Data
A vast quantity of microbial strain data exists in various culture collections such as the national resource repositories (e.g. the ATCC, the E. coli Genetic Stock Center Database [CGSC], DSM, JSCC); specialized research collections (USDA Nitrogen -fixers,Oregon Graduate Institute and Technology's Methanogen collection, etc.);and national public health laboratories (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], Collingdales Public Health Laboratory, etc.). These data represent an invaluable resource for the development of the IMD since they were generated under highly-controlled, standardized methods using well documented reference strains. The inclusion of these data in the IMD will enhance the robustness of the various computational programs of the database and increase the value of query results.
It is recommended that the IMD steering committee initiate a plan to encourage the participation of these collections as active partners in the development of the IMD. It should be pointed out to them that their partnership role would be beneficial to the participants by access to analytical tools developed by the IMD, and an enhancementof the participants overall collection databases.
An added incentive for the national resource repositories' participation in the IMD would be the value of the resultant database toward regulatory compliance issues such as GMP, GLP, and ISO 9000.
5.0 Federation Membership and Responsibilities
6.0 Workshop Participants
7.0 Summary
More information about the integrated database project is available in insights, the CME Newsletter.
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