EPGRIS3 Activities

EPGRIS3 list of activities

EPGRIS3 is little more than the activities it coordinates. Below is a wish list of activities, for some there is an activity leader, and the activity can go ahead, for others we are still hoping for someone to accept the position of activity leader and make it happen.
Once an initial list of activity leaders is available they will be asked to submit a workplan that will be made available on this page.

Activity Description Actors and their roles Documents

Vision and scope discussion

EPGRIS3 Wiki
(1-01) To allow for joint development of plans and visions on issues relevant to PGR documentation, a Wiki environment should be set up in which anyone can read and contribute to evolving documents. Activity leader
Dag Terje Endresen (NordGen)
Collaborator(s)
none
not yet available

Scope EURISCO
(1-02) To develop ideas about the desired and feasible scope of EURISCO a discussion should be organized tackling issues such as ‘how could EURISCO also cover in situ PGR conservation?’, ‘what countries should be represented?’, ‘what material should be included in EURISCO (i.e., do Arabidopsis or mapping populations, ornamentals or Botanic Gardens belong to EURISCO)?’, ‘how do the Central Crop Databases relate to EURISCO?’. This discussion could use the EPGRIS3 Wiki. Anyone should be able to contribute, but the activity leader could moderate and summarize the discussions, the collaborators could act as ‘hard kernel’ for the discussions. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE)
Eliseu Bettencourt
Lorenzo Maggioni (ECPGR)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
not yet available

Role of EURISCO in global system
(1-03) To develop ideas about the role of EURISCO in the global infrastructure of PGR documentation a discussion should be set up tackling issues such as ‘how can EURISCO be used to serve the documentation and reporting aspects of the International Treaty (ITPGRFA) in Europe?’, ‘should EURISCO be the European node in a global PGR documentation resource?’. This discussion could use the EPGRIS3 Wiki. Anyone should be able to contribute, but the activity leader could moderate and summarize the discussions, the collaborators could act as ‘hard kernel’ for the discussions. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE)
Eliseu Bettencourt
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
not yet available

Promoting the use of EURISCO
(1-04) The value of EURISCO is largely dependent on its use. To develop ideas about how this use could be stimulated a discussion should be set up tackling issues such as the promotion and functionalities. This discussion could use the EPGRIS3 Wiki. Anyone should be able to contribute, but the activity leader could moderate and summarize the discussions, the collaborators could act as ‘hard kernel’ for the discussions. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Eliseu Bettencourt
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
not yet available

Data quality and quantity - EURISCO

Taxonomic backbone
(2-01) The taxonomic nomenclature of the material in EURISCO forms a big problem hindering the use of the information. We need a list of taxa allowing the checking of names as the material is received, and a list of relationships between those names, allowing easier access to the material (e.g. if a user asks for ‘Aegilops squarrosa’ (s)he should also get ‘Triticum squarrosa’) Activity leader
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Magdalena Svärdh (NordGen)
Iva Faberova (CRI)
not yet available

Empty field issue
(2-02) Given the current scope of EURISCO many more accessions should be included, and the information of the accessions included is often very limited. Further activities are needed to increase both elements of ‘completeness’. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Sonia Dias (Bioversity)
Afig Mammadov (GRI)
not yet available

Location data quality
(2-03) Similar to the ‘taxonomy data checker’ the PGR community would be helped with a tool that allows the uploading of location data (description of collecting site, longitude, latitude, district, country) and get back a report with indications of probable errors (Belgium accessions, with coordinates in Chile). Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Raj Sood (Bioversity) not yet available

LSID
(2-04) To experiment with the application of Life Science Identifiers (LSIDs) an activity should be developed that makes information about LSIDs accessible, develops concepts for the use of these LSIDs in the PGR documentation environment and creates resources to actually start applying them. (LSIDs allow a unique identification of chunks of information, making it possible to recognize the most recent version and avoid duplication in federated databases and information systems) Activity leader
Dag Terje Endresen (NordGen)
Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE)
Theo van Hintum (CGN)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
Johan Bäckman (NordGen)
Christoph Germeier (BAZ)
Iva Faberova (CRI)
not yet available

C&E data
(2-05) Characterization and evaluation (C&E) data are of high relevance to the users of PGR information. However, handling this type of information appears to be a very difficult issue. As a result the exchange and use of C&E data is very limited. Protocols will be developed to facilitate this process. Activity leader
Theo van Hintum (CGN)
Collaborator(s)
Christoph Germeier (BAZ)
Dag Terje Endresen (NordGen)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
Afig Mammadov (GRI)
Frank Begemann (BLE)
Draft Workplan Proposal Road Map

Link to ECCDBs
(2-06) A burning issue in the European PGR documentation arena is the link between the European Central Crop Databases (ECCDBs) and EURISCO. An activity is needed to explore this link and create mechanisms that will allow adding value on both sides. Activity leader
Theo van Hintum (CGN)
Collaborator(s)
Lorenzo Maggioni (ECPGR)
Jan Engels (Bioversity)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
Christoph Germeier (BAZ)
Frank Begemann (BLE)
Iva Faberova (CRI)
Draft Workplan Year1 Presentation by Lorenzo Discussion notes PGR Documentation Landscape presentation and paper

Uploading mechanism

EURISCO uploading with web services
(3-01) Web services is a potent new technology for on-line data exchange. It is an obvious additional mechanism for uploading data from the National Inventories (NIs) to EURISCO, and also from the data source (usually a genebank) to the NI. An activity is needed that will create this mechanism for the NI that are already available as web service, and to create easy solutions for those NIs that are interested in adopting the technology. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Milko Skofic (Bioversity)
Theo van Hintum (CGN)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
Christoph Germeier (BAZ)
not yet available

Revision MCPD list
(3-02) There might be a need to revise the descriptors used to exchange data between the National Inventories and EURISCO: the Multi-Crop Passport Descriptior List (MCPDL). An activity is needed that will inventory the needs and propose a revision when required. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE)
Eliseu Bettencourt
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
Theo van Hintum (CGN)
Iva Faberova (CRI)
not yet available

Passport ontology
(3-03) To increase the flexibility of passport data exchange, and to pave the way for other types of data, an ontology of passport data needs to be developed based on all existing ontologies. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
not yet available

Inclusion of in situ and on farm information in EURISCO
(3-04) The option of including in situ data in EURISCO has been on the table several times. An activity is needed to collect the pros and cons, inventory the practical implications, and if it is decided that way, make it happen. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE)
Jan Engels (Bioversity)
Christoph Germeier (BAZ)
not yet available

User interfaces

EURISCO website functionality
(4-01) Appropriate functionality of the EURISCO web site is crucial to its use. Further activities are needed to improve the current functionality: improve the user interface, fix the download of query results, install an online seed request function (one-stop shop for PGR in Europe), etc. Activity leader
Sonia Dias (Bioversity) Collaborator(s)
Milko Skofic (Bioversity)
not yet available

Development of PGR Crop Portals
(4-02) As an attempt to change the focus in the field of PGR documentation from supply to demand, a number of ‘PGR crop portals’ will be created. The starting point of these portals is the demand of a well defined group of users, such as the users of lettuce PGR. In close collaboration with these users the functionality of such a site will be defined and implemented. Activity leader
Theo van Hintum (CGN)
Collaborator(s)
Ian Thomas (IGER)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
Christoph Germeier (BAZ)
Draft Workplan Year 1

COMPLETED
sMTA reporting
(4-03) Since there will be the need to create a registry of transactions under the ITPGRFA, there is potentially a role to play for EURISCO in Europe. This role needs to be defined, and when accepted by the stakeholders, implemented in a technical system. Activity leader
Frank Begemann (BLE)
Collaborator(s)
Theo van Hintum (CGN)
Jan Engels (Bioversity)
Draft Workplan Proposal Reporting Procedure

COMPLETED
MLS and AEGIS
(4-04) EURISCO could play a role as the inventory of European material under the International Treaty Multi Lateral System and/or the material in the AEGIS European Collection. However, this is not why EURISCO was created, so it needs to be carefully planned, discussed and, when approved, implemented. Activity leader
Frank Begemann (BLE)
Collaborator(s)
Jan Engels (Bioversity)
Christoph Germeier (BAZ)
Draft Workplan Proposal Registration Procedure

New web services
(4-05) Web services technology offers possibilities to run a program on a computer using data in databases on other computers via internet. This creates new possibilities for the use of the data in EURISCO. These possibilities should be explored, facilitated and implemented in a few use cases. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Milko Skofic (Bioversity)
Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)
not yet available

European Collection Information System
(4-06) Once the European collections, as envisaged in AEGIS, take shape, an interface will have to be developed that gives access to (and information about) the material in the collection to the user community, and that allows the curators of the ‘component collections’ to get access to the management data of the material in the collection (seed availability, quality, distribution, etc.) Activity leader
Jan Engels (Bioversity)
Collaborator(s)
none
Draft Workplan Year 1

Network National Focal Points

National Focal Points training and networking
(5-01) To maintain the network of Focal Persons, and to improve the quality of this network, some activities in terms of communication and capacity building will have to be developed. The training component could be linked to ongoing SeedNet. Training and capacity building may also be necessary for individual genebanks as data providers. Activity leader
Sonia Dias (Bioversity) Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE)
Magdalena Svärdh (NordGen)
Workplan

Implementation web services
(5-02) Apart from the possibilities to facilitate use of EURISCO data via webservices, this technology is also the obvious way of harvesting data from the National Inventories by EURISCO. Some institutes involved are already using web services, and implementing proof-of-concept cases should be a simple exercise (see another EPGRIS3 activity). But the technology should also be made available to other National Inventories in terms of software and knowledge. Activity leader
to be identified
Collaborator(s)
Siegfried Harrer (BLE)
Milko Skofic (Bioversity)
Johan Bäckman (NordGen)
not yet available

Links

EPGRIS3 main page
list of EPGRIS3 contacts

Activity	Description	Actors and their roles	Documents
	Vision and scope discussion
EPGRIS3 Wiki (1-01)	To allow for joint development of plans and visions on issues relevant to PGR documentation, a Wiki environment should be set up in which anyone can read and contribute to evolving documents.	Activity leader Dag Terje Endresen (NordGen) Collaborator(s) none	not yet available
Scope EURISCO (1-02)	To develop ideas about the desired and feasible scope of EURISCO a discussion should be organized tackling issues such as ‘how could EURISCO also cover in situ PGR conservation?’, ‘what countries should be represented?’, ‘what material should be included in EURISCO (i.e., do Arabidopsis or mapping populations, ornamentals or Botanic Gardens belong to EURISCO)?’, ‘how do the Central Crop Databases relate to EURISCO?’. This discussion could use the EPGRIS3 Wiki. Anyone should be able to contribute, but the activity leader could moderate and summarize the discussions, the collaborators could act as ‘hard kernel’ for the discussions.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Eliseu Bettencourt Lorenzo Maggioni (ECPGR) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)	not yet available
Role of EURISCO in global system (1-03)	To develop ideas about the role of EURISCO in the global infrastructure of PGR documentation a discussion should be set up tackling issues such as ‘how can EURISCO be used to serve the documentation and reporting aspects of the International Treaty (ITPGRFA) in Europe?’, ‘should EURISCO be the European node in a global PGR documentation resource?’. This discussion could use the EPGRIS3 Wiki. Anyone should be able to contribute, but the activity leader could moderate and summarize the discussions, the collaborators could act as ‘hard kernel’ for the discussions.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Eliseu Bettencourt Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)	not yet available
Promoting the use of EURISCO (1-04)	The value of EURISCO is largely dependent on its use. To develop ideas about how this use could be stimulated a discussion should be set up tackling issues such as the promotion and functionalities. This discussion could use the EPGRIS3 Wiki. Anyone should be able to contribute, but the activity leader could moderate and summarize the discussions, the collaborators could act as ‘hard kernel’ for the discussions.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Eliseu Bettencourt Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)	not yet available
	Data quality and quantity - EURISCO
Taxonomic backbone (2-01)	The taxonomic nomenclature of the material in EURISCO forms a big problem hindering the use of the information. We need a list of taxa allowing the checking of names as the material is received, and a list of relationships between those names, allowing easier access to the material (e.g. if a user asks for ‘Aegilops squarrosa’ (s)he should also get ‘Triticum squarrosa’)	Activity leader Helmut Knüpffer (IPK) Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Magdalena Svärdh (NordGen) Iva Faberova (CRI)	not yet available
Empty field issue (2-02)	Given the current scope of EURISCO many more accessions should be included, and the information of the accessions included is often very limited. Further activities are needed to increase both elements of ‘completeness’.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Sonia Dias (Bioversity) Afig Mammadov (GRI)	not yet available
Location data quality (2-03)	Similar to the ‘taxonomy data checker’ the PGR community would be helped with a tool that allows the uploading of location data (description of collecting site, longitude, latitude, district, country) and get back a report with indications of probable errors (Belgium accessions, with coordinates in Chile).	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Raj Sood (Bioversity)	not yet available
LSID (2-04)	To experiment with the application of Life Science Identifiers (LSIDs) an activity should be developed that makes information about LSIDs accessible, develops concepts for the use of these LSIDs in the PGR documentation environment and creates resources to actually start applying them. (LSIDs allow a unique identification of chunks of information, making it possible to recognize the most recent version and avoid duplication in federated databases and information systems)	Activity leader Dag Terje Endresen (NordGen) Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Theo van Hintum (CGN) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK) Johan Bäckman (NordGen) Christoph Germeier (BAZ) Iva Faberova (CRI)	not yet available
C&E data (2-05)	Characterization and evaluation (C&E) data are of high relevance to the users of PGR information. However, handling this type of information appears to be a very difficult issue. As a result the exchange and use of C&E data is very limited. Protocols will be developed to facilitate this process.	Activity leader Theo van Hintum (CGN) Collaborator(s) Christoph Germeier (BAZ) Dag Terje Endresen (NordGen) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK) Afig Mammadov (GRI) Frank Begemann (BLE)	Draft Workplan Proposal Road Map
Link to ECCDBs (2-06)	A burning issue in the European PGR documentation arena is the link between the European Central Crop Databases (ECCDBs) and EURISCO. An activity is needed to explore this link and create mechanisms that will allow adding value on both sides.	Activity leader Theo van Hintum (CGN) Collaborator(s) Lorenzo Maggioni (ECPGR) Jan Engels (Bioversity) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK) Christoph Germeier (BAZ) Frank Begemann (BLE) Iva Faberova (CRI)	Draft Workplan Year1 Presentation by Lorenzo Discussion notes PGR Documentation Landscape presentation and paper
	Uploading mechanism
EURISCO uploading with web services (3-01)	Web services is a potent new technology for on-line data exchange. It is an obvious additional mechanism for uploading data from the National Inventories (NIs) to EURISCO, and also from the data source (usually a genebank) to the NI. An activity is needed that will create this mechanism for the NI that are already available as web service, and to create easy solutions for those NIs that are interested in adopting the technology.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Milko Skofic (Bioversity) Theo van Hintum (CGN) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK) Christoph Germeier (BAZ)	not yet available
Revision MCPD list (3-02)	There might be a need to revise the descriptors used to exchange data between the National Inventories and EURISCO: the Multi-Crop Passport Descriptior List (MCPDL). An activity is needed that will inventory the needs and propose a revision when required.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Eliseu Bettencourt Helmut Knüpffer (IPK) Theo van Hintum (CGN) Iva Faberova (CRI)	not yet available
Passport ontology (3-03)	To increase the flexibility of passport data exchange, and to pave the way for other types of data, an ontology of passport data needs to be developed based on all existing ontologies.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)	not yet available
*Inclusion of in situ* and on farm information in EURISCO** (3-04)	The option of including in situ data in EURISCO has been on the table several times. An activity is needed to collect the pros and cons, inventory the practical implications, and if it is decided that way, make it happen.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Jan Engels (Bioversity) Christoph Germeier (BAZ)	not yet available
	User interfaces
EURISCO website functionality (4-01)	Appropriate functionality of the EURISCO web site is crucial to its use. Further activities are needed to improve the current functionality: improve the user interface, fix the download of query results, install an online seed request function (one-stop shop for PGR in Europe), etc.	Activity leader Sonia Dias (Bioversity) Collaborator(s) Milko Skofic (Bioversity)	not yet available
Development of PGR Crop Portals (4-02)	As an attempt to change the focus in the field of PGR documentation from supply to demand, a number of ‘PGR crop portals’ will be created. The starting point of these portals is the demand of a well defined group of users, such as the users of lettuce PGR. In close collaboration with these users the functionality of such a site will be defined and implemented.	Activity leader Theo van Hintum (CGN) Collaborator(s) Ian Thomas (IGER) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK) Christoph Germeier (BAZ)	Draft Workplan Year 1
COMPLETED sMTA reporting (4-03)	Since there will be the need to create a registry of transactions under the ITPGRFA, there is potentially a role to play for EURISCO in Europe. This role needs to be defined, and when accepted by the stakeholders, implemented in a technical system.	Activity leader Frank Begemann (BLE) Collaborator(s) Theo van Hintum (CGN) Jan Engels (Bioversity)	Draft Workplan Proposal Reporting Procedure
COMPLETED MLS and AEGIS (4-04)	EURISCO could play a role as the inventory of European material under the International Treaty Multi Lateral System and/or the material in the AEGIS European Collection. However, this is not why EURISCO was created, so it needs to be carefully planned, discussed and, when approved, implemented.	Activity leader Frank Begemann (BLE) Collaborator(s) Jan Engels (Bioversity) Christoph Germeier (BAZ)	Draft Workplan Proposal Registration Procedure
New web services (4-05)	Web services technology offers possibilities to run a program on a computer using data in databases on other computers via internet. This creates new possibilities for the use of the data in EURISCO. These possibilities should be explored, facilitated and implemented in a few use cases.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Milko Skofic (Bioversity) Helmut Knüpffer (IPK)	not yet available
European Collection Information System (4-06)	Once the European collections, as envisaged in AEGIS, take shape, an interface will have to be developed that gives access to (and information about) the material in the collection to the user community, and that allows the curators of the ‘component collections’ to get access to the management data of the material in the collection (seed availability, quality, distribution, etc.)	Activity leader Jan Engels (Bioversity) Collaborator(s) none	Draft Workplan Year 1
	Network National Focal Points
National Focal Points training and networking (5-01)	To maintain the network of Focal Persons, and to improve the quality of this network, some activities in terms of communication and capacity building will have to be developed. The training component could be linked to ongoing SeedNet. Training and capacity building may also be necessary for individual genebanks as data providers.	Activity leader Sonia Dias (Bioversity) Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Magdalena Svärdh (NordGen)	Workplan
Implementation web services (5-02)	Apart from the possibilities to facilitate use of EURISCO data via webservices, this technology is also the obvious way of harvesting data from the National Inventories by EURISCO. Some institutes involved are already using web services, and implementing proof-of-concept cases should be a simple exercise (see another EPGRIS3 activity). But the technology should also be made available to other National Inventories in terms of software and knowledge.	Activity leader to be identified Collaborator(s) Siegfried Harrer (BLE) Milko Skofic (Bioversity) Johan Bäckman (NordGen)	not yet available