Revolutionising Research and Innovation: The Digital Transformation of the UK's Natural History Collections.
In an unprecedented move, the UK is embarking on a transformative journey to digitize its vast natural history collections, a project spearheaded by the Natural History Museum and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
This ambitious £155 million, 10-year programme, known as DiSSCo UK (Distributed System of Scientific Collections), aims to digitize over 137 million items that span an incredible 4.6-billion-year history of the Earth. These collections, which include specimens from every corner of the globe, are invaluable for understanding biodiversity, evolution, and the impact of human activity on the planet.
Despite their significance, less than 10% of these collections are currently digitized and accessible online, limiting their potential for research and innovation1. The DiSSCo UK initiative seeks to unlock this potential by making these collections available through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), where already 7.6 million specimens from the UK are accessible, representing less than 6% of the total collections1. This digitization effort is not just about preserving the past; it's about leveraging historical data to address contemporary challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food security.
The Impact of Digitisation
The digitization of the UK's natural history collections is expected to have a profound impact on scientific research and societal well-being. A study conducted by the Natural History Museum London, with analytical support from McKinsey & Company, revealed that digitising these collections could contribute £2 billion to the UK economy. Moreover, the data from these collections are already punching above their weight, with UK specimens making up just 0.3% of total occurrences on GBIF but accounting for 12% of the total peer-reviewed journal articles citing GBIF data.
The benefits of digitization extend beyond economic gains. By making these collections digitally accessible, researchers worldwide can conduct large-scale analyses that were previously impossible. For instance, the use of digital collections data, combined with artificial intelligence analysis techniques, has revolutionized the study of how organisms respond to climate change1. This not only enhances research efficiency but also contributes to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to Life on Land, Life Below Water, and Climate Action.
A Global Digital Collection
The DiSSCo UK programme is part of a larger European initiative, DiSSCo (Distributed System of Scientific Collections), which aims to create a unified digital collection of European natural science assets. This initiative involves over 1,500 billion specimens, 5,000 scientists, and more than 170 institutions across 23 countries. By ensuring that all data complies with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), DiSSCo seeks to foster a new business model for natural science collections that promotes common access, curation, policies, and practices across countries.
Nature-inspired Innovation, Biotech, and Nature-based Solutions
The specific benefit for nature-inspired innovation, biotech, and nature-based solutions, lies in the vast potential of UK natural science collections data to underpin efficient, effective, and impactful research in these fields. With over 137 million items, these collections offer an unrivalled source of data about Earth's biodiversity, evolutionary history, and the impacts of human activity on the planet. However, the current limitation is that less than 10% of these collections are digitally available, which constrains the scientific, commercial, and societal benefits that could be derived from them. Digitising these collections and making them accessible through platforms like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) can significantly enhance research in nature-inspired innovation, biotech, and nature-based solutions by providing:
Historical, Geographic, and Taxonomic Breadth: The UK collections add vital historical, geographic, and taxonomic breadth to the data available for research. This is crucial for understanding biodiversity patterns, evolutionary processes, and ecological dynamics, which are foundational for developing nature-inspired innovations and biotechnological solutions.
Support for Key Research Areas: The data from UK collections support research in critical areas such as climate change, invasive species, and conservation. These areas are integral to developing nature-based solutions and innovations that address environmental challenges while promoting sustainability.
Efficiency and Innovation in Research: The digitization of collections data, combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis techniques, has the potential to transform the efficiency and scope of research. For example, the use of digital collections images and new computer vision techniques for analysis can enable large-scale studies that were previously not feasible, thereby accelerating the pace of discovery and innovation in nature-inspired and biotechnological research.
Global Data Availability: Making these collections digitally available to the global community, including communities of origin, can facilitate a more inclusive and equitable scientific endeavour. This is particularly important for nature-based solutions, which often require a deep understanding of local ecosystems and biodiversity.
Economic and Societal Benefits: The digitization of UK natural science collections is expected to yield significant economic benefits, with an estimated £2 billion in benefits to the UK economy. This economic potential, coupled with the efficiency savings for researchers, underscores the value of these collections for fostering innovation in biotech and nature-based solutions.
The digitisation of the UK's natural science collections holds immense potential for advancing nature-inspired innovation, biotechnology, and nature-based solutions by providing a rich, accessible database that can drive efficient, impactful research and development in these fields.
Looking Forward
The digitisation of the UK's natural history collections represents a critical step towards harnessing the power of the past to inform the future. As the UK aspires to become a science and technology superpower, initiatives like DiSSCo UK not only position the country as a leader in the global scientific community but also demonstrate a commitment to addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity and the planet. By unlocking the wealth of knowledge contained within these collections, the UK can inspire innovations that lead to a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.
More information from the NHM press release here.
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Further Reading:
Distributed System of Scientific Collections UK
Distributed System of Scientific Collections EU
Hardy H, Livermore L, Kersey P, Norris K, Smith V, Pullar J (2023) Users and uses of UK Natural History Collections – a Summary