2024 Digital Data: Plenary Session - Day 1, Managing Biodiversity & Hosts Parasites & Microbiomes

Описание: 00:00-3:55 Welcome - Andy Bentley
3:56-7:32 Opening Remarks - Jorge Soberon
7:33-9:00 Opening Remarks - Nico Franz
9:01-34:26 Blockchain-Based Prototype Solutions for Biodiversity Data Management - Town Peterson
34:27-1:04:01 Hosts, parasites, and microbiomes: A system for studying natural complexity in a changing world - Kelly Speer

Managing Biodiversity Data in the Blockchain: Full Tracking of All Data Transactions through Time in Managing Systematic Collections - Town Peterson, University Distinguished Professor, University of Kansas

Biodiversity data management is achieved via a single, correct, authoritative version. Other than inclusion of a few fields to preserve “verbatim” versions of key information, in largest part, current protocols in managing biodiversity data do not preserve the “lineage” of previous versions of information, much less the attribution of who did what and when. A collaborative effort between the Institute for Information Sciences and the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas has been exploring blockchain-based technology solutions as a means of preserving a much-richer suite of information in the process of creating and managing biodiversity information records, and specifically data records associated with natural history museum specimens. We have developed a working prototype that allows large specimen datasets to be imported, edited, and batch-updated; the system logs all values and changes made to the data, along with information about the specific user who made the changes. User accounts can be created with different levels of permission and supervision. As a consequence, one can now create reports of what has been done by whom over the entire history of a data record. The result is a far-richer suite of information associated with data records in biodiversity informatics.
Co-authors:
Fernando Machado-Stredel, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico;
Ali Khalighifar, Center for Bioimage Informatics, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital;
Drew Davidson, Institute for Information Sciences, University of Kansas

Hosts, parasites, and microbiomes: A system for studying natural complexity in a changing world - Kelly Speer, Director, Michigan Pathogen Biorepository & Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan

Natural history collections offer necessary, but underutilized, infrastructure for monitoring and addressing emerging disease threats. For example, the extended specimen captures not only host responses to pathogen infection, but also the potential role of ectoparasites in transmitting a pathogen, and the impact of beneficial microorganisms on infection success in both host and ectoparasite vector. Through associated sample metadata, we can examine how these nested communities of interacting hosts, ectoparasites, and microorganisms respond to habitat loss or geographic distance. We can additionally apply advanced sequencing technologies and protocols developed for ancient samples to the historical holdings of museums to understand how host-pathogen dynamics have changed through time. While these collections offer obvious value toward building resiliency to zoonoses, we can also improve the ways natural history museums sample, document, and share components of the extended specimen. By enhancing collections that specialize on parasites, pathogens, or microorganisms, we also build the power of natural history collections to address pressing zoonotic threats. This type of holistic, relationship-based approach will allow biodiversity and public health researchers to better leverage natural history collections toward the goals of interdisciplinary collaboration, open science, pathogen surveillance, and zoonotic resilience.