The IMD will require access to polyphasic data maintained by various institutions throughout the world. These data are specialized in distinct fields. The fundamental on-line data resources contain sequence data, strain data and environmental data. Little phenotypic strain data are on-line. However, access to strain-oriented databases is possible and of high priority.
Environmental data exist on-line.
The initial effort is to provide entry pointers to these information sources. These links, in their simplest initial form, will allow users to utilize the facilities within these resources. A second stage effort will provide more complete links utilizing data elements in common. Such common elements such as taxonomic trees and phenotypic descriptors will be provided as part of the IMD services. There are several specific databases of special interest to microbiologists that are either on-line or could be so in the near future.