Networking the microbial diversity information (original) (raw)

1996, Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

The Internet, the electronic global network of computers, has expanded significantly over the last few years, connecting segments from academia, industry and the private sector. The use of the Internet by researchers has diversified substantially from the primordial exchange of electronic messages to the current use of highly developed graphic interfaces capable of accessing images, sounds and retrieving information from databases in different computers around the world. The reduced costs for data storage and ease of connection to the net have nourished a steady exponential growth in the number of sites. Microbiologists now benefit from a wealth of databases and Web sites with microbiological information, ranging from culture collection data, information on microbial diversity, taxonomic and phylogenetic data, biotechnological applications and taxonomic expertise. Efforts are required to stimulate the integration of complex molecular and image databases with more traditional information resources, such as bibliographic, strain data, compendia of species descriptions and metabolic products databases. Coordinating and linking mechanisms are needed in order to promote the development of protocols, guidelines and minimal standards to ensure data quality. Future challenges to the scientific use of Internet resources include the setting up of clearing-house mechanisms and virtual libraries for the organization of the microbiological resources on the network.