SDP Overview

We developed the BOLD Student Data Portal (BOLD-SDP), a customized workspace and analytical workbench for educational users. BOLD-SDP expands the suite of data management and analysis tools employed by the BOLD researcher workbench to perform additional sequence classification and tagging of barcode data generated by members of the educational community. Most of the data validation and visualization features of BOLD are exposed via web services to BOLD-SDP and wrapped by audience-specific interfaces. This enables teachers and students using BOLD-SDP to utilize the same suite of tools used by professional scientists in the researcher workbench through simplified consoles that are more suitable for educational end-users. Following data validation by professional scientists (through the submission console of BOLD-SDP), student records are then moved to the BOLD research workbench and published in INSDC.

It bears noting here that educators often overlook the fundamental distinction between a barcode generated for the purpose of assigning a species name to an unknown tissue source or food product, and a barcode generated for the purpose of building the BOLD reference library. A query sequence is generated in a laboratory setting and used as a search string in the BOLD Identification System (BOLD-IDS) to obtain a species-level match, wherever possible. Although a query system must include a minimum number of nucleotides from a designated barcode region in order for a search to be performed via BOLD-IDS, it is not subject to any specific data standards or scientific requirements. On the other hand, a reference sequence forms the molecular genetic component of a reference DNA barcode record in BOLD that includes other forms of detailed information associated with the source specimen and the collection event. Because a reference barcode constitutes the core data element in BOLD that enables accurate species identifications to be performed by its end-users, the data contained in each record must meet a variety of formal data standards before publication in INSDC.

The submission console of BOLD-SDP was specifically designed for project leaders and members of the scientific community to review student compliance with these standards before their data is transferred to the BOLD researcher workbench and simultaneously published in INSDC. To ensure greater level of student success in publishing their records, educators are therefore encouraged to familiarize themselves with current standards for specimen and sequence data before embarking upon a DNA barcoding project with their students. Educators are also encouraged to associate with DNA barcode sequences and to identify a suitable biorepository to curate specimens (voucher specimens) from which barcode sequences were obtained.

Apart from preserving the fidelity of BOLD as a global species identification tool, such partnerships will provide a source of important technical guidance and expose students to a valuable aspect of biodiversity science, namely the curation of specimens and the management of collections and collection data. In recognition of the obvious challenges that educators may face in forging these partnerships, we are currently establishing cyberinfrastructure to support the formation of a community of scientists and educators who share an interest in broadening the involvement of students in building the BOLD reference library as citizen scientists.

Santschi, L. et al., (2012) Barcoding Life's Matrix: translating biodiversity genomics into high school settings to enhance life science education. In press.