BOLD V4: A Centralized Bioinformatics Platform for DNA-based Biodiversity Data

BOLD, the Barcode of Life Data System, supports the acquisition, storage,validation, analysis, and publication of DNA barcodes, activities requiring theintegration of molecular, morphological, and distributional data. Its pivotalrole in curating the reference library of DNA barcodes, coupled with its datamanagement and analysis capabilities, make it a central resource forbiodiversity science. It enables rapid, accurate identification of specimensand also reveals patterns of genetic diversity and evolutionary relationshipsamong taxa. Launched in 2005, BOLD has become an increasingly powerful tool for advancingunderstanding of planetary biodiversity. It currently hosts 17 million specimenrecords and 14 million barcodes that provide coverage for more than a millionspecies from every continent and ocean. The platform has the long-term goal ofproviding a consistent, accurate system for identifying all species ofeukaryotes. BOLD's integrated analytical tools, full data lifecycle support, and securecollaboration framework distinguish it from other biodiversity platforms. BOLDv4 brought enhanced data management and analysis capabilities as well as novelfunctionality for data dissemination and publication. Its next version willinclude features to strengthen its utility to the research community,governments, industry, and society-at-large.