Biospecimen Database
Under the direction of the Genome 10K Community of Scientists, the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP) catalogs specimens from vertebrate species that include living and recently extinct mammals, birds, non-avian reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, many of which are threatened or endangered.
The VGP relies on the work of an international community of biospecimen stewards who have documented and preserved their institution’s collections.
Duties of a biospecimen steward
A steward should either be in a decision-making position regarding the disposition of the sample (should a piece of it be used for sequencing) or represent an institution that plays a major role in such decision-making. In addition, the steward is responsible for making certain that the sample is documented and preserved.
How to submit sample collections
While we are revising guidelines for submitting sample collection data as of October 2018 to incorporate best practices for sample preparation, we invite those interested in sharing their sample collections to contact the Vertebrate Genome Project.