Automation of Natural History Collections and Bioinformatics: Rapid Optical Data Acquisition and Automated Computerization at INHS

该项目将收集和计算大约489，000个弹尾目（弹尾虫），缨翅目（蓟马），Phthiraptera（虱子）和Psocoptera（书和树皮虱子）标本，并将其纳入伊利诺伊州自然历史调查昆虫学收藏中最近开发的快速数据采集成像/数据库工作流程。将通过光学扫描载玻片制备物和乙醇保存材料（小瓶）的采集标签实现数字化和计算机化。在批量扫描时，编程语言脚本将用于a）将每个采集对象图像自动捕获到数据库中作为单个样本记录;以及B）将数据半自动输入到关系数据库字段中。样本数据的第一次半自动解析平均会将60%的完整个人记录自动解析到数据库中。使用计算机脚本和交互式数据输入的第二遍恢复剩余的集合对象数据。这一拟议的自然历史藏品数字化解决方案的一个重要贡献是实施了一个数据库/软件工作流程，允许将逐字标签数据（图像）与传统的图书馆级数据库相结合。这种新开发的成像/数据库解决方案将改变宝贵的自然历史藏品数字化的方式，并准确地加快数字化的速度。 该工作流程将与NSF支持的Specify馆藏管理软件集成，并可在自然历史收藏界更广泛地使用。该工作流程解决方案的应用将促进INHS所列昆虫群体的全面管理，为全球研究人员和公众提供丰富的重要历史和现代收藏数据。 该项目将为两名研究生、一名数据库技术员和一些生物多样性信息学本科生提供培训。 该解决方案的可用性将使更大的生物收集社区受益，从而快速扩展，集成和移动收集数据。 该项目是一项为期10年的努力的一部分，旨在收集和动员与美国研究收藏中的生物标本有关的科学信息。该项目的图像和数字化数据将被纳入在线国家资源，如社区战略计划所述，可在http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/digistratplanfinaldraft.pdf上查阅。

This project will digitize and computerize approximately 489,000 specimens of Collembola (springtails), Thysanoptera (thrips), Phthiraptera (lice), and Psocoptera (book and bark lice) into a rapid data acquisition imaging/database workflow recently developed in the entomology collections at the Illinois Natural History Survey. Digitization and computerization will be achieved by optical scanning of glass slide preparations and collection labels from ethanol-preserved material (vials). Upon batch scanning, programming language scripts will be used to a) automate capture of each collection object image into the database as an individual specimen record; and b) semi-automate data entry into relational database fields. The first pass of semi-automated parsing of specimen data results in an average of 60% of the complete individual record automatically parsed into the database. A second pass using computer scripts and interactive data entry, recovers the remaining collection object data. An important contribution of this proposed natural history collections digitization solution is the implementation of a database/software workflow that allows integration of verbatim label data (imaged) with the traditional specimen-level database. This newly developed imaging/database solution will transform the way, and accurately accelerate the rate, in which invaluable natural history collections are digitized. The workflow will be integrated with the NSF-supported Specify collections management software and be made available for broader use in the natural history collections community. Application of this workflow solution will facilitate complete curation for the groups of INHS insects listed, making available a wealth of critical historical and modern-day collections data to researchers and the public, worldwide. The project will provide training for two graduate students, one database technician, and select undergraduates in biodiversity informatics. Availability of this solution will benefit the greater biological collections community with efforts to rapidly digitize, integrate, and mobilize collections data. This project is part of a 10-year effort to digitize and mobilize the scientific information associated with biological specimens held in U.S. research collections. The images and digitized data from this project will be integrated into the online national resource as outlined in the community strategic plan available at http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/digistratplanfinaldraft.pdf.