National Science Foundation – 7 February 2006 Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) David E. Schindel, Executive Secretary National Museum of Natural.

National Science Foundation – 7 February 2006

Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL)

David E. Schindel, Executive SecretaryNational Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Institution

[email protected]; http://www.barcoding.si.edu202/633-0812; fax 202/633-2938


• History of development– Recent origin, rapid growth

• Mode of operation as an international initiative– Compromise between bottom-up, democratic (slow) and

top-down, centrally-managed (nimble) organization– Distributed activity that seeks global participation– Minimal bureaucracy, highly user-driven– Focused on projects with near- and mid-term results

• Goal of this meeting: Priorities for Next Steps

Consortium for the Barcode of Life: Major Points


Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL)

• First barcoding publications in 2002• Cold Spring Harbor planning workshops in 2003• Sloan Foundation grant, launch in May 2004• Secretariat opens at Smithsonian, September 2004• First international conference February 2005• Now an international affiliation of:

– 100+ Members Org’s, 40 countries, 6 continents– Natural history museums, biodiversity organizations– Users: e.g., government agencies– Private sector biotech companies, database providers


CBOL Structure

Member Organizations

Executive Committee

Working Groups

Scientific Advisory Board

Secretariat Office


CBOL Member Organizations: 2006

• 100+ Member organizations, 40 countries

• 30 Member organizations from 20 developing countries


CBOL Member Organizations: 2008Engaging collections, researchers and users

• Expand membership to 200 organizations• Double participation in developing countries• Four regional meetings in 2006 to expand

awareness, assess needs, start networks in:– Southern and eastern Africa – South America– Southern Asia

• Working with BioNET, development agencies• Second International Barcode Conference,

Southeast Asia, February 2007


Current and Planned Projects• Four Working Groups • FishBOL and All Birds Initiatives• International Network for Barcoding

Invasive and Pest Species (INBIPS)• Created Steering Committees for:

– Tephritid fruit flies (agricultural pests)

– Mosquitoes (disease vectors)

– African bushmeat (endangered vertebrates)


CBOL’s Working Groups

• Database: Designing/constructing the Barcode Section of GenBank

• DNA: Protocols for formalin-fixed and old museum specimens; advice to new labs

• Data Analysis: Beyond phenetic methods; population genetics perspective

• Plants: Identify gene region(s) for barcoding


ABBI and FISH-BOL• Global initiatives to create reference library

• Enable users to adopt barcode ID systems

• All-species barcode database will:– Strengthen specimen/species data– Improve collections, tissue/DNA resources– Attract users to barcoding for specimen IDs

• Regional Working Groups

• Small Steering Committee and CBOL


Structure of this meeting• Friday morning: Information transfer• Friday afternoon/Saturday morning:

reflection and discussion• Saturday afternoon:

– Compile and discuss priorities– Identify opportunities, needs for projects– Agree on next steps for networks, Steering

Committees, proposal development

• Post-meeting: CBOL and BioNET will facilitate next steps


Goals of Regional Meetings

• Raise awareness

• Explore potential applications in the region

• Assess greatest needs and opportunities in the region

• Identify highest priorities, construct national and regional action plans

• Start intra-regional networks and intercontinental partnerships


Possible Follow-On Activities

• In-country training

• Research training fellowships

• Infrastructure improvement:– Lab equipment acquisition– Collections– Information technology

• Other forms of capacity-building identified during regional meetings

National Science Foundation – 7 February 2006 Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) David E. Schindel, Executive Secretary National Museum of Natural.

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