StrainInfo—the central database for linked microbial strain identifiers

Throughout scientific literature and databases, microbial strains are often distinguished using either non-standardized designations or one of several available culture collection numbers. The fact that different sources use different strain identifiers to describe the same strain significantly impedes the findability, reusability, and integration of published information, and also affects the reproducibility of results. In order to ensure the traceability of microbial strains, the new StrainInfo database presented in this work was developed based on the defunct StrainInfo.net portal to re-establish and further develop this important service for the collection and matching of all existing identifiers of microbial strains. New data is collected, standardized, and integrated from culture collection catalogues, sequence databases as well as the scientific literature. A new interface provides easy access to the identifiers, their interrelations, associated information, as well as links to additional data. To improve and encourage the referencing and linking of microbial strain data, StrainInfo has introduced the Digital Object Identifier as a persistent identifier for strains. Database URL: https://straininfo.dsmz.de/.