We are pleased to announce a significant milestone in the development of ChromoDB – The Global Chromosome Number Project. Following a highly productive technical meeting held at the Coordination Unit of GBIF Spain (GBIF.ES) in Madrid, our project has officially commenced its integration into the Global Biodiversity Information Facility infrastructure.
Technical Milestones and Access
ChromoDB has been granted official credentials to the GBIF Spain Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT). This development allows our team to begin the structured population of metadata and the systematic mapping of our cytogenetic records to international Darwin Core (DwC) standards. Currently, the project is hosted in a dedicated work resource, where we are refining the data architecture to ensure maximum interoperability with global biodiversity networks.
Institutional Framework and Strategic Goals
The Botany Section of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences (University of Barcelona) will serve as the host institution for this data publication. Our specialized team is currently working toward a revised target of over 50,000 curated records before the final synchronization and public release. This rigorous curation phase is designed to ensure that ChromoDB provides the scientific community with a high-quality, validated resource that meets the requirements for a comprehensive “data paper” in prestigious journals such as PhytoKeys or the Biodiversity Data Journal.
Acknowledgments
This progress would not have been possible without the expert guidance and professional support of the GBIF.ES staff. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Katia Cezón for her exceptional efficiency in managing our registration and for her ongoing advice regarding Darwin Core mapping. We also extend our thanks to Paco Pando for his hospitality and for sharing his vast expertise in biodiversity informatics during our visit to Madrid. Their support has been instrumental in facilitating this transition from a private research database to a global open-access resource.
The ChromoDB team looks forward to the next few months of intensive curation as we prepare this significant contribution to the global knowledge of plant cytogenetics.