R-Syst::diatom: a barcode database for diatoms and freshwater biomonitoring - data sources and curation procedure

We present the data sources and the curation procedure of an open-access and curated reference barcoding database for diatoms, called R-Syst::diatom, developed in the framework of R-Syst, the barcoding network of INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research). R-Syst::diatom links DNA-barcodes to their taxonomical identifications, and is dedicated to identify barcodes from natural samples. The data come from two sources, a culture collection of freshwater algae maintained in INRA which is regularly barcoded for new strains and from the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) nucleotide database. Two kinds of barcodes were chosen to support the database: 18S and rbcL, because of their efficiency. Data are curated using innovative (Declic) and classical bioinformatic tools (Blast, classical phylogenies) and up-to-date taxonomy (Catalogue of Diatom Names and peer reviewed papers). Every 6 months R-Syst::diatom is updated. The database is available through the R-Syst website (http://www.rsyst.inra.fr/). In addition to these information, morphological features (e.g. biovolumes, chloroplasts...), life-forms (mobility, colony-type) or ecological features (taxa preferenda to pollution) are indicated in R-Syst::diatom. This database should get a foot in the door of biomonitoring 2.0