SeqCode News

Updates on the SeqCode Initiative


October 2023

In line with the process laid down in Article 11 of the SeqCode statutes, a public discussion of the Whitman et al. proposals to amend the SeqCode will now be held via the SeqCode public Slack workspace. For this purpose, the Legislative Commission have created a specific channel (discussion-of-whitmanetal-2023-proposed-seqcode-amendments).  To contribute to the discussion, please join this channel and place any comments. The public discussion will be open until 10 January 2024.
 

September 2023

  • A new paper proposing amendments to the SeqCode has been published this month.

    Whitman, W.B., Hedlund, B.P., Palmer, M. et al. Request for public discussion and ballot to amend SeqCode rules on priority of Candidatus names and correction of typographic and orthographic errors. ISME COMMUN. 3, 96 (2023)

  • SeqCode Prize announcement

The SeqCode Prize recognizes significant achievements in prokaryotic systematics advancing the aims and reach of the SeqCode. The Prize also recognizes significant contributions to the promotion of the SeqCode. More information on the Prize...

June 2023

Launch of a public discussion on a request for decision 

The SeqCode Reconciliation Commission is launching a public discussion regarding a received request for a decision entitled "Validation request: proposal to grant an exception under Rule 18a in order to validate the name 'Omnitrophus fodinae'". 

In accordance with Article 12.3 of the SeqCode statutes, the discussion will be open for an initial period of three months starting from 28 June and ending on 28 September 2023

The request has been made public via github platform in the Discussion section and we welcome everyone to post their comments in this dedicated electronic forum. We believe that many members of our scientific community have registered with this platform. Those who are not registered in github yet, please register first to be able to post comments.  

Thank you and we look forward to receiving your comments!

The SeqCode Reconciliation Commission

 

▼ News 2022 September 2022
Two articles on the SeqCode have been published this month!

 

1. Hedlund, BP, M Chuvochina, P Hugenholtz, KT Konstantinidis, AE Murray, M Palmer, DH Parks, AJ Probst, A-L Reysenbach, LM Rodriguez-R, R Rossello-Mora, IC Sutcliffe, SN Venter, WB Whitman. 2022. SeqCode, a nomenclatural code for prokaryotes described from sequence data. Nature Microbiology, doi:10.1038/s41564-022-01214-9

2. Whitman, WB, M Chuvochina, BP Hedlund, P Hugenholtz, KT Konstantinidis, AE Murray, M Palmer, DH Parks, A J Probst, A-L Reysenbach, LM Rodriguez, R Rossello-Mora, I Sutcliffe, SN Venter. 2022. Development of the SeqCode: a proposed nomenclatural code for uncultivated prokaryotes with DNA sequences as type. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 45:126305. doi:10.1016/j.syapm.2022.126305
 

August 2022
The SeqCode will be represented at ISME 18 Symposium in Lausanne, Switzerland:

Monday August 15; 18:00-19:30 - The Future of Microbial Taxonomy Under the SeqCode - Round Table

Tuesday August 16: 13:15 - 13:45 - Auditorium A - SeqCode Information Session
In this 30-minute session we will (i) introduce the SeqCode - a new prokaryotic nomenclature system that accepts DNA sequence as 'type' material to name species of Bacteria and Archaea, (ii) discuss plans for implementation, and (iii) discuss a path for community participation and engagement in the future of the SeqCode.
 

February 2022
The SeqCode is a new code of nomenclature that has been developed to allow naming of Archaea and Bacteria using DNA sequences as the nomenclatural types. The SeqCode will allow naming of the enormous uncultivated biodiversity discovered through metagenomic sequencing and single-cell genomics, fastidious prokaryotes that cannot reasonably be maintained and distributed by culture collections, as well as organisms that cannot be legally transferred between countries. 

It has been nearly a year since the online meetings on SeqCode and a great deal has since been accomplished.  

  1. Based in part on the comments at the virtual “Path forward to implementation and adoption of the SeqCode” meeting, the SeqCode has been revised, and a paper announcing it has been submitted for publication. Preprints of the paper and the SeqCode are available here.  
  2. We have established an agreement with the International Society of Microbial Ecology to host the SeqCode on their website. 
  3. A Slack workspace was initiated last year following the workshop and will now be used for active public discussion of SeqCode. Please join us here
  4. An outline for the governance of the SeqCode Committee has been drafted and is available on our Slack channel ‘seqcode-administration’.  Input is both welcome and needed. 
     
▼ News 2021

January 2021
SeqCode draft made available for public comment

▼ News 2020

September 2020
A draft of the code is in the making and will be available for comment in 2021.

June 2020
Roadmap for naming uncultivated Archaea and Bacteria” published in Nature Microbiology.

March 2020
ICSP voted to NOT accept DNA sequence as type information under the ICNP.