Biological Collections: Their Past, Present, and Future Contributions and Options for Sustaining Them

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The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) will evaluate the value of biological collections - defined here as living stocks of organisms and preserved repositories of biodiversity specimens and materials) - to research and education. Biological collections are used for research in evolutionary biology, biodiversity, global change, conservation, food security, public health, the spread of invasive species, and biomedicine (among other fields). Some specimens of plants, animals, and microbes serve as "standards" or "type specimens" to be retained for future comparisons for formally described species attached to particular names under the Codes of Nomenclature. They also provide documentation that allows the comparison of past and present biodiversity and allow researchers to reconstruct important historical changes. Biological collections also harbor specimens of as yet undescribed species so that researchers today find many more new animal and plant species among preserved specimens than they do in nature. Preserved specimens also represent invaluable resources for education and training. Because many biological collections are in decline in the United States, the project will suggest long-term strategies for their sustained use. This study will provide critical input on how biological collections can be made to adapt to changing scientific capabilities and societal needs. Information on the NASEM's Board on Life Sciences and its products may be found at http://dels.nas.edu/bls.Biological collections serve three main functions: use in research and innovation, education, and public engagement in science. This study will provide critical input on how biological collections can be made to adapt to changing scientific capabilities and societal needs. The NASEM Board on Life Sciences will convene an independent, expert committee to review and evaluate the types of research, training, and public engagement activities that are commonly supported by biological collections. They will examine the logistical and financial needs to advance science, education, and public outreach endeavors and recommend a range of long-term strategies to enhance the effective use of these resources. The study will help build the research, education, and public outreach infrastructure needed to advance technologies, address national and global challenges, and prepare future workforce to engage in the diverse areas of science supported by collections.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.