Molecular Collections - Insects

Overview

Molecular Collections - Insects groups 26 collection units from the Molecular Collections - Insects section within the Molecular Collections division (Life Sciences), covering an estimated 716,905 individual items held across 150,624 curatorial/storage units. Material is predominantly whole organisms (18 of 26 collection units), dna (6 of 26 collection units), and lysate (1 of 26 collection units). Preservation is mainly deep-frozen, ethanol, and buffer. Named taxa represented in this product include Ephemeroptera, among others. 

Value

Curatorial assessment rates this product highly on Development potential, Scope and depth, and Strategy/mission/research (avg. 4.4/5 across its top three scored dimensions), indicating it is well positioned for external licensing relative to other NHM holdings. Its breadth and depth of coverage make it suitable as a comprehensive reference dataset rather than a niche sample. High-confidence taxonomic identification throughout the set means downstream users can trust the labels without extensive re-verification.

Use Cases

1. genomic reference panels and DNA barcode libraries for biodiversity and bioinformatics research
2. biobanking and tissue-sample partnerships with academic and biotech researchers
3. training data for genomic sequence-classification and phylogenetics models
4. provenance-linked molecular data supporting species conservation and biosecurity work
5. new digital product development generally — this group scores well as a strong candidate for investment
6. a comprehensive reference dataset or benchmark corpus, given the depth of coverage within this group