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Centre for Biodiversity Data Science (zbd)

From objects to knowledge

Natural history museums are evolving into international centers of open biodiversity knowledge. At the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), this transformation is driven by the creation of The Center Biodiversity Data Science — a cross-sectional hub connecting all LIB research and transfer centers.

Vision and mission

The Centre for Biodiversity Data Science will transform the LIB's collections and expertise into a globally accessible knowledge space. By integrating data science, artificial intelligence (AI) and citizen science, the centre combines physical objects with digital knowledge to make biodiversity and its changes understandable and relevant for action.

Strategic goals

  • Build a future-oriented, networked collection: Digitize up to 100% of LIB’s holdings, supported by AI, robotics, and FAIR/CARE-compliant data standards.
  • Enable impactful biodiversity research: Develop data infrastructures and AI tools to monitor, analyze, and predict biodiversity change.
  • Create the LIB Knowledge Space: An open, semantic web-based platform for connecting research data across disciplines and making it accessible to scientists and the public.

Core areas

  1. Data Mobilization – Digitization, data integration, and metadata management across all LIB collections.
  2. Biodiversity Data Science – Development of AI models, semantic knowledge graphs, and analytical tools for ecological and genomic data.
  3. Citizen Science – Inclusive participation in biodiversity research through collaborative data collection, validation, and analysis.

Implementation and governance

  • Cross-location collaboration between the LIB locations Bonn and Hamburg, involving all centers of expertise.
  • Flat, participatory governance encouraging open discussion, agile development, and joint decision-making.
  • Roles and expertise include AI developers, data scientists, digital collection managers, semantic web developers, and strategic researchers.

Effects until 2035

By systematically digitizing, connecting, and interpreting biodiversity data, The Center Biodiversity Data Science will:

  • Position LIB as a globally open object and knowledge hub.
  • Strengthen LIB’s leadership in biodiversity informatics and data-driven conservation science.
  • Foster innovation and social engagement through transparent, participatory research.

Contact person

Dr. Peter Grobe

  • Head of Section
  • Biodiversity Informatics

Phone: +49 228 9122 342
E-Mail: p.grobe@leibniz-lib.de

Projects

All projects

Publications

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    2025

  • 2025/03

    Ahrens, D., Haas, A., Pacheco, T.L., Grobe, P.

    Show more...

    Extracting specimen label data rapidly with a smartphone—a great help for simple digitization in taxonomy and collection management

    ZooKeys, 1233

  • 2025/03

    Moore, J., Garilao, C., Kerbl, A.

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    An annotated catalog of Annelida types at the Museum of Nature Hamburg, Zoology. Part I: Annelida: Errantia: Aciculata: Eunicida, Myzostomida, Aciculata incertae sedis, and Errantia: Protodriliformia

    Evolutionary Systematics, 1, 9

  • 2025/01

    Mozer, A., Di‐Nizo, C.B., Consul, A., Huettel, B., Jäger, R., Akintayo, A., Erhardt, C., Fenner, L., Fischer, D., Forat, S., Gimnich, F., Grobe, P., Martin, S., Nathan, V., Saeed, A., von der Mark, L., Woehle, C., Olek, K., Misof, B., Astrin, J.J.

    Show more...

    FOGS: A SNPSTR Marker Database to Combat Wildlife Trafficking and a Cell Culture Bank for Ex‐Situ Conservation

    Molecular Ecology resources

    • 2024

  • 2024/10

    Bräunig, C., Meid, S., Quast, B., Rduch, V., Grobe, P.

    Show more...

    The ASV Registry: a place for ASVs to be

    Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, 8

  • 2024/09

    Ruff, M., Wellsow, J., Weiss, M., Rach, B., Triebel, D.

    Show more...

    4 Datenmanagement – 4.3 Management von Vorkommensdaten, Umfang und Herkunft der Datenbestände

  • 2024/05

    Tarkhnishvili, D., Seropian, A., Erhardt, C., Kachlishvili, N., Krammer, H., Hein, N.

    Show more...

    How dispersal rates depend on the prey capture strategy: A case study of Georgia's spiders

    Ecology and Evolution, 5, 14

    • 2023

  • 2023/06

    Nöske, N., Bräunig, C.

    Show more...

    Das FörTax-Datenportal ist online - „Taxonomische Bildungsangebote auf einen Blick“ bundesweit verfügbar

    • 2022

  • 2022/08

    Grobe, P., Gemeinholzer, B., Kirse, A., Saeed, A., Bourlat, S.J.

    Show more...

    Data Flows for Metabarcoding-based Monitoring in the Project Automated Multisensor Stations for Monitoring of Biodiversity

    Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 6

    • 2019

  • 2019/01

    Vogt, L., Baum, R., Bhatty, P., Köhler, C., Meid, S., Quast, B., Grobe, P.

    Show more...

    SOCCOMAS: a FAIR web content management system that uses knowledge graphs and that is based on semantic programming

    2019

    • 2018

  • 2018/12

    Vogt, L., Baum, R., Köhler, C., Meid, S., Quast, B., Grobe, P.

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    Using Semantic Programming for Developing a Web Content Management System for Semantic Phenotype Data

  • 2018/05

    Baum, R., Grobe, P., Köhler, C., Meid, S., Quast, B., Vogt, L.

    Show more...

    Entry Life-Cycle with automatic Change-History & Provenance Tracking in collaborative Semantic Web Content Management Systems as implemented in SOCCOMAS

    2

  • 2018/05

    Köhler, C., Baum, R., Grobe, P., Meid, S., Quast, B., Vogt, L.

    Show more...

    Using Semantics for morphological Descriptions in Morph•D•Base

    2

    • 2017

  • 2017/12

    Rulik, B., Eberle, J., Mark, L.v.d., Thormann, J., Jung, M., Köhler, F., Apfel, W., Weigel, A., Kopetz, A., Köhler, J., Fritzlar, F., Hartmann, M., Hadulla, K., Schmidt, J., Hörren, T., Krebs, D., Theves, F., Eulitz, U., Skale, A., Rohwedder, D., Kleeberg, A., Astrin, J.J., Geiger, M.F., Wägele, J.W., Grobe, P., Ahrens, D.

    Show more...

    Using taxonomic consistency with semi‐automated data pre‐processing for high quality DNA barcodes

    Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12, 8

  • 2017/08

    Meid, S., Baum, R., Bhatty, P., Grobe, P., Köhler, C., Quast, B., Vogt, L.

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    SOCCOMAS: A Self-Describing and Content-Independent Application for Semantic Ontology-Controlled Web-Content-Management-Systems

    1

  • 2017/07

    Meid, S., Baum, R., Bhatty, P., Grobe, P., Köhler, C., Quast, B., Vogt, L.

    Show more...

    Developing a Module for Generating Formalized Semantic Morphological Descriptions for Morph∙D∙Base

    1

  • 2017/07

    Köhler, C., Baum, R., Bhatty, P., Grobe, P., Meid, S., Quast, B., Vogt, L.

    Show more...

    Semantic Annotations of Text and Images in Morph∙D∙Base

    1

    • 2016

  • 2016/09

    Geiger, M.F., Astrin, J.J., Borsch, T., Burkhardt, U., Grobe, P., Hand, R., Hausmann, A., Hohberg, K., Krogmann, L., Lutz, M., Monje, C., Misof, B., Morinière, J., Müller, K., Pietsch, S., Quandt, D., Rulik, B., Scholler, M., Traunspurger, W., Haszprunar, G., Wägele, W.

    Show more...

    How to tackle the molecular species inventory for an industrialized nation—lessons from the first phase of the German Barcode of Life initiative GBOL (2012–2015)

    Genome, 9, 59

    • 2015

  • 2015/06

    Ekin, T., von Döhren, J., Quast, B., Beckers, P., Bartolomaeus, T.

    Show more...

    Phylogenetic significance of chaetal arrangement and chaetogenesis in Maldanidae (Annelida)

    3, 134

  • 2015/05

    Astrin, J., Fonseca, V., Geiger, M., Grobe, P., Rulik, B., Waegele, W.

    Show more...

    Lessons from the first phase of the German Barcode of Life initiative (2012-2015)

    5, 58

    • 2012

  • 2012/12

    Vogt, L., Grobe, P., Quast, B., Bartolomaeus, T.

    Show more...

    Fiat or Bona Fide Boundary—A Matter of Granular Perspective

    12, 7

  • 2012/01

    Vogt, L., Grobe, P., Quast, B., Bartolomaeus, T.

    Show more...

    Accommodating Ontologies to Biological Reality—Top-Level Categories of Cumulative-Constitutively Organized Material Entities

    1, 7

    • 2011

  • 2011/04

    Vogt, L., Grobe, P., Quast, B., Bartolomaeus, T.

    Show more...

    Top-Level Categories of Constitutively Organized Material Entities - Suggestions for a Formal Top-Level Ontology

    4, 6

Employees

All employees

  • Christian Bräunig

    ztm Biodiversity informatics Scientist

    E-mail: c.braeunig@leibniz-lib.de

  • Christoph Erhardt

    ztm Biodiversity informatics Scientist

    Phone: +49 228 9122 248
    E-mail: c.erhardt@leibniz-lib.de

  • Cristina Therese Garilao

    ztm Biodiversity informatics Scientist

    Phone: +49 40 238317 707
    E-mail: c.garilao@leibniz-lib.de

  • Dr. Peter Grobe

    ztm Biodiversity informatics Scientist

    Phone: +49 228 9122 342
    E-mail: p.grobe@leibniz-lib.de

  • Dr. Björn Quast

    ztm Biodiversity informatics Scientist

    Phone: +49 228 9122 347
    E-mail: b.quast@leibniz-lib.de

  • Dipl. Biol. Birgit Rach

    ztm Biodiversity informatics Scientist

    Phone: +49 228 9122 422
    E-mail: b.rach@leibniz-lib.de

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