Centers are now providing considerable technical services such as multiplexed libraries to facilitate screening for specific genes. Three major databases are key resources for sharing information. This is a comprehensive collection of many types of information, including genetic map information obtained directly from investigators or from publicly available collections and databases. At this time, the U.S. stock center and databases do not accept deposits that place restrictions on materials, a policy that has in a few instances, impeded accepting some important collections. However, NASC has accepted a collection of insertional mutants in which users are required to sign a material transfer agreement that cedes commercial rights to the investigators that produced the collection.
Curators aggressively solicit materials.
Quality control is also conducted by the curators. Peer pressure, the example of prominent scientists, and recognition for contributing stocks all help foster continued contributions to the centers and their associated databases. Although at this time the Arabidopsis community requires that genome sequences be deposited in the public database three months after they are publicly available, the multinational steering committee is considering requesting that journals publishing in this area require an accession number from the stock centers indicating that experimental materials have been deposited. The stock centers and databases are extremely successful because resources and information are so freely and willingly shared. At the same time, the clones are deposited in the stock center and thereby made available to anyone interested.