The Helmholtz Network for Bioinformatics: an integrative web portal for bioinformatics resources

SUMMARY: The Helmholtz Network for Bioinformatics (HNB) is a joint venture of eleven German bioinformatics research groups that offers convenient access to numerous bioinformatics resources through a single web portal. The 'Guided Solution Finder' which is available through the HNB portal helps users to locate the appropriate resources to answer their queries by employing a detailed, tree-like questionnaire. Furthermore, automated complex tool cascades ('tasks'), involving resources located on different servers, have been implemented, allowing users to perform comprehensive data analyses without the requirement of further manual intervention for data transfer and re-formatting. Currently, automated cascades for the analysis of regulatory DNA segments as well as for the prediction of protein functional properties are provided. AVAILABILITY: The HNB portal is available at http://www.hnbioinfo.de     

Development and perspectives of scientific services offered by genomic biological resource centres.

A number of fundamental technical developments like the evolvement of oligonucleotide microarrays, new sequencing technologies and gene synthesis have considerably changed the character of genomic biological resource centres in recent years. While genomic biological resource centres traditionally served mainly as providers of sparsely characterized cDNA clones and clone sets, there is nowadays a clear tendency towards well-characterized, high-quality clones. In addition, major new service units like microarray services have developed, which are completely independent of clone collections, reflecting the co-evolution of data generation and technology development. The new technologies require an increasingly higher degree of specialization, data integration and quality standards. Altogether, these developments result in spin-offs of highly specialized biotech companies, some of which will take a prominent position in translational medicine.     

Revision der GattungOrthacanthus Agassiz 1843 (Chondrichthyes: Xenacanthida)

The genusOrthacanthus Agassiz 1843 is subdivided on the basis of different development and insertion of the dorsal spine into the subgeneraOrthacanthus (Orthacanthus)Agassiz 1843 andOrthacanthus (Lebachachanthus) Soler-Gijon 1997.Orthacanthus (Lebachacanthus) possesses a short dorsal spine situated dorsally of the shoulder girdle with broad and rounded cross section and with two short rows of denticles situated postero-laterally. This type of spine limits the dorsal fin anteriorly.Orthacanthus (Orthacanthus) possesses a long and slender spine with rounded cross section and long rows of denticles postero-laterally, inserted at the postero-dorsally edge of the neurocranium in the occipital region. This kind of insertion is similar to that of the generaTriodus andXenacanthus but not to that ofOrthacanthus (Lebachacanthus).     

Studien überAcanthodes. 4.Acanthodes boyi n. sp., die dritte Art der Acanthodier (Acanthodii: Pisces) aus dem Rotliegend (Unterperm) des Saar-Nahe-Beckens (SW-Deutschland)

WithAcanthodes boyi n. sp. another new species of acanthodians from the Saar - Nahe -Basin is described. Only the holotype is known. The specimen differs in several characteristics such as stages of ossification, vertebral column, development of the shoulder girdle, development of the fin spines, and other details from both known species,Acanthodes bronni (Agassiz) andAcanthodes tholeyi (Heidtke).     

Safeguarding donors’ personal rights and biobank autonomy in biobank networks: the CRIP privacy regime

Governance, underlying general ICT (Information and Communication Technology) architecture, and workflow of the Central Research Infrastructure for molecular Pathology (CRIP) are discussed as a model enabling biobank networks to form operational “meta biobanks” whilst respecting the donors’ privacy, biobank autonomy and confidentiality, and the researchers’ needs for appropriate biospecimens and information, as well as confidentiality. Tailored to these needs, CRIP efficiently accelerates and facilitates research with human biospecimens and data.     

First direct evidence of a vertebrate three-level trophic chain in the fossil record

We describe the first known occurrence of a Permian shark specimen preserving two temnospondyl amphibians in its digestive tract as well as the remains of an acanthodian fish, which was ingested by one of the temnospondyls. This exceptional find provides for the first time direct evidence of a vertebrate three-level food chain in the fossil record with the simultaneous preservation of three trophic levels. Our analysis shows that small-sized Lower Permian xenacanthid sharks of the genus Triodus preyed on larval piscivorous amphibians. The recorded trophic interaction can be explained by the adaptation of certain xenacanthids to fully freshwater environments and the fact that in these same environments, large temnospondyls occupied the niche of modern crocodiles. This unique faunal association has not been documented after the Permian and Triassic. Therefore, this Palaeozoic three-level food chain provides strong and independent support for changes in aquatic trophic chain structures through time.     

Acanthodes bourbonensis n.sp., ein neuer Acanthodier (Acanthodii: Pisces) aus dem Autunium (Unterperm) von Bourbon l’Archambault (Allier,Frankreich)

WithAcanthodes bourbonensis n.sp. another acanthodian from Lower Permian basins of Europe is described. The new species is similar toAcanthodes gracilis (Beyrich) from Silesia (Poland), but it differs from this and all other species of the genus in the development of the pectoral fins, dorsal fin, anal fin and caudal fin. In pectoral fins, dorsal and anal fin there are different ceratotrichia as supporting elements and pectoral fins are attaching along a row of oblonged large scales. In the caudal fin there is an epichoral appendix first found byHeyler (1969).