African DSI DataBank: A federated infrastructure for Africa's biodiversity data

Abstract

A new platform lets African organisations host, store, study, govern, and share their own genomic and biodiversity digital sequence data - while keeping full custody of it. Here is what it is, how it works, and how to join. The African Digital Sequence Information DataBank for Biodiversity and Agriculture (African DSI DataBank, https://africandsidatabank.africa), developed by the African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP), is launching as a federated platform built specifically to host, curate, and govern access to Africa-origin biodiversity and agricultural DSI. This paper introduces it, briefly describes how it is put together, how data moves through it, and how an organisation, a researcher, or a funder can engage with it.