The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH participates within the framework of the national research data infrastructure (NFDI) as co-applicant in the consortium NFDI4BioDiversity and thus contributes significantly to shaping the future of research data. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding a total of nine consortia - including NFDI4BioDiversity - as part of the National Research Data Infrastructure. "Science is based on data, and the data sets from research are becoming more and more extensive and complex," states the Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Prof. Dr. Jörg Overmann. "In order to be able to network old and new data sets optimally and thus use them efficiently, it is necessary to store and curate data intelligently within the framework of innovative database infrastructures so that analyses can be carried out as required," Overmann continues.
An important aspect in this context is the FAIR data principle, which stands for the sustainability of research data, i.e. findability, free access to data as well as interoperability and reproducibility. The Leibniz Institute DSMZ is contributing its comprehensive experience in handling microbial research data to develop a cloud-based research infrastructure. The BacDive database, developed at the DSMZ and the world's largest meta-database for bacteria, is also part of this development, which significantly improves the future working methods of researchers by providing standardized data. Furthermore, DSMZ supports the consortium with its experience in the field of international law on bioresources, where the Leibniz Institute in Braunschweig has pioneered as the world's first registered collection in the context of the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol (Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014).
The NFDI4BioDiversity consortium (https://www.nfdi4biodiversity.org/) will be funded by the German Research Foundation with up to three million euros for an initial period of five years starting in autumn 2020. In addition to the DSMZ, 15 co-applicants and 37 university and non-university institutions throughout Germany are involved in the consortium.
Press contact:
Sven-David Müller, Head of Public Relations, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Phone: ++49 (0)531/2616-300
Mail: Sven.David.Mueller(at)dsmz.de
About the Leibniz Institute DSMZ
The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures is the world's most diverse collection of biological resources (bacteria, archaea, protists, yeasts, fungi, bacteriophages, plant viruses, genomic bacterial DNA as well as human and animal cell lines). Microorganisms and cell cultures are collected, investigated and archived at the DSMZ. As an institution of the Leibniz Association, the DSMZ with its extensive scientific services and biological resources has been a global partner for research, science and industry since 1969. The DSMZ is the first registered collection in Europe (Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014) and certified according to the quality standard ISO 9001:2015. As a patent depository, it offers the only possibility in Germany to deposit biological material in accordance with the requirements of the Budapest Treaty. In addition to scientific services, research is the second pillar of the DSMZ. The institute, located on the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd, accommodates more than 73,000 cultures and biomaterials and has 198 employees. www.dsmz.de
The Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association connects 96 independent research institutions that range in focus from the natural, engineering and environmental sciences via economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct knowledge-driven and applied basic research, maintain scientific infrastructure and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer to policy-makers, academia, business and the public. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – in the form of “Leibniz ScienceCampi” (thematic partnerships between university and non-university research institutes), for example – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to an independent evaluation procedure that is unparalleled in its transparency. Due to the importance of the institutions for the country as a whole, they are funded jointly by the Federation and the Länder, employing some 19,100 individuals, including 9,900 researchers. The entire budget of all the institutes is approximately 1,9 billion Euros. www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de