Entomological Bioinformatics at the Texas A&M University Insect Collection

在约翰·D·奥斯瓦尔德博士的指导下，向德克萨斯农工大学授予了一笔赠款，以支持该大学昆虫收藏的计算机化，这是一个约有220万份标本的研究收藏，主要来自美国西南部、墨西哥和新热带地区北部。该项目将从540,000多个固定的昆虫标本的标签中获取数据，以构建一个可搜索的在线数据库，其中包括昆虫识别(分类学)、地理分布和收集日期的信息。被抽样的主要种类包括甲虫、蝉、叶蝉、蚜虫、黄蜂、蚂蚁和蜜蜂。在线数据库将为世界各地的研究人员提供有关收集的信息。捕获地理和其他收集数据将有助于更好地了解这些重要昆虫群体的分布，其中许多对人类社会具有重要的经济和生态意义。此外，该项目将为大约25-35名昆虫系统学、生物信息学和收集管理领域的研究生和本科生提供教育机会。

A grant has been awarded to Texas A & M University under the direction of Dr. John D. Oswald to support computerization of the university Insect Collection, a research collection of approximately 2.2 million specimens, primarily from the southwestern United States, and Mexico and the northern neotropics. The project will capture data from labels from over 540,000 pinned insect specimens to construct a searchable, online database of information on insect identification (taxonomy), geographic distribution, and dates of collection. Among the major groups to be sampled are beetles, cicadas, leafhoppers, aphids, wasps, ants, and bees. The online database will make information on collection available to researches worldwide. Capturing geographic and other collection data will allow for improved understanding of the distribution of these important groups of insects, many of which are economically and ecologically important to human society. Additionally, the project will provide educational opportunities for an estimated 25-35 graduate and undergraduate university students in the fields of insect systematics, biological informatics and collection management.