A Standardized Nomenclature Design for Systematic Referencing and Identification of Animal Cellular Material

Area of Science:

• Biobanking and Biodiversity Conservation
• Genomics and Molecular Biology
• Wildlife Science

Background:

• Living biological samples are vital for documenting, preserving, and rescuing biological diversity.
• Persistent associations between species, biosamples (tissues, cell lines), and data are essential for effective utilization and exchange.
• Current lack of standardized nomenclature for animal biological material hinders unambiguous referencing and research reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, standardized, human-readable nomenclature for identifying animal cellular material, particularly from wildlife species.
• To establish a system that generates unique and stable identifying names for biosamples.
• To facilitate data FAIRification (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and ensure traceability of biological samples and associated data.

Main Methods:

• Development of a standardized, human-readable nomenclature design for animal cellular material.
• Inclusion of a species-specific, human- and machine-readable syntax within the naming scheme.
• Focus on generating unique and stable identifiers for wildlife species' cellular material.

Main Results:

• A first standardized nomenclature design capable of generating unique and stable identifiers for animal cellular material, especially from wildlife.
• The proposed naming scheme includes a species-specific syntax for enhanced traceability and data FAIRification.
• The system is designed for global applicability, supporting the long-term storage of animal bio-samples in cryobanks.

Conclusions:

• Consistent application of this nomenclature in publications and data exchange is critical to mitigate risks of misidentification and loss of traceability.
• This innovative identification system provides a sustainable structure for animal bio-sample cryobanking.
• The standardized nomenclature will facilitate current and future species conservation efforts and biomedical research.