World data centre for microorganisms: an information infrastructure to explore and utilize preserved microbial...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bioinformatics
• Data Science

Background:

• The World Data Centre for Microorganisms (WDCM) was established 50 years ago.
• It operates as the data center for the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC)-Microbial Resource Center (MIRCEN).
• WDCM aims to provide integrated information services using big data technology for global microbial resource centers and microbiologists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the WDCM and its integrated services.
• To highlight the utility of WDCM's big data approach for microbial resource management.
• To showcase the accessibility of WDCM services for the scientific community.

Main Methods:

• Culture Collections Information Worldwide (CCINFO): Provides metadata for 708 culture collections across 72 countries.
• Global Catalogue of Microorganism (GCM): Aggregates strain catalogue data (>368,000 strains from 103 collections in 43 countries) with retrieval, analysis, and visualization tools.
• Analyzer of Bioresource Citation (ABC): A data mining tool for extracting strain-related publications, patents, and genomic information.
• Reference Strain Catalogue (RSC): Maintains a database of strains for international standards (e.g., ISO), assigning unique identifiers for diagnostic and quality control purposes.

Main Results:

• CCINFO offers comprehensive metadata on a global scale.
• GCM provides extensive microbial strain data with advanced analytical capabilities.
• ABC generates a valuable knowledge base from diverse public data sources.
• RSC ensures standardized and reliable reference strains for critical applications.

Conclusions:

• WDCM provides a suite of powerful, integrated big data services for microbial resources.
• These services enhance data accessibility, retrieval, analysis, and standardization for microbiologists worldwide.
• All WDCM services are freely accessible at www.wdcm.org, promoting global scientific collaboration.