This web site contains the "Parasite Database" maintained by Daniel R. Brooks from the University of Toronto. This site describes the phylogenetic and biological diversity inventory databases that are being accumulated by Dr. Brooks and colleagues. This site is currently off line and will be re-established at the Manter Laboratory in a few weeks. Stand by! -slg

The Manter Laboratory -- Univ. of Nebraska

 This web site contains the databases of the Manter Laboratory and describes some of the activities in parasite biodiversity that the HWML supports. The Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology is ranked as one of the the most important centers of Systematic Parasitology in the World.

The Division of Parasitology in the University of Nebraska Museum of Natural History was established 29 March 1971. In 1981 the HWML was designated one of three National Resource Centers for Parasitology and many students associated with the lab have been trained in systematics as well as other aspects of parasitology.

Four Henry Baldwin Ward Medalists (the highest annual award that is given by the American Society of Parasitologists) were students at the University of Nebraska and were associated with the Manter Laboratory through research and teaching.

The USNPC, a national and international resource for systematic, taxonomic, diagnostic ecological and epidemiological research in parasitology has been continuously maintained by the USDA for over 100 years. The USNPC has served as a critical resource for all aspects of parasitology in North America and globally, and provides the foundation for all programs within the ARS and elsewhere that deal with the systematics and taxonomy of agriculturally and economically significant helminthic and protozoan parasites. The scope and depth of the Collection are unparalleled in North America. Current holdings are substantial and the collection is among the largest in the world (in excess of 100,000 lots, and over 20 million individual specimens; 3,000 holotypes, 7,000 type series) and accumulates about 1,000-1500 new lots of specimens annually.

NEON will be designed to address continental and regional scale questions pertaining to many environmental grand challenges as they relate to: (1) biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; (2) biogeochemical cycling; (3)climate change; (4) hydroecology; (5) infectious disease; (6) invasive species; (7) land use; and (8) other emerging issues. A series of questions will guide the design of the continental scale research platform that comprises NEON, leading to a distributed infrastructure network that allows us to transform ecology and begin to forecast biosphere phenomena. In addition to science, NEON will provide unique educational opportunities for K-12 and higher education students, as well as the general public.

Mostly from the SSB web page:

"What is Systematics? Systematics is the study of biological diversity and its origins. It focuses on understanding evolutionary relationships among organisms, species, higher taxa, or other biological entities, such as genes, and the evolution of the properties of taxa including intrinsic traits, ecological interactions, and biogeography. An important part of systematics is the development of methods for various aspects of phylogenetic inference and biological nomenclature/classification."

The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. The NBII links diverse, high-quality biological databases, information products, and analytical tools maintained by NBII partners and other contributors in government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organizations, and private industry. NBII partners and collaborators also work on new standards, tools, and technologies that make it easier to find, integrate, and apply biological resources information. Resource managers, scientists, educators, and the general public use the NBII to answer a wide range of questions related to the management, use, or conservation of this nation's biological resources.