Researchers in the United Kingdom are leveraging artificial intelligence and robotics to construct a massive digital repository of natural history specimens, a project they believe will dramatically accelerate our understanding of the planet’s ecological past and future.
The initiative, known as the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo UK), aims to make approximately 70 million animals, plants, fossils, and rocks accessible via smartphones and computers. By automating the scanning and analysis processes, the project intends to compress a task that would have taken centuries manually into a decade-long effort.
Dr. Joanna Dunster, associate director of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), highlighted the dual purpose of the project: advancing science and engaging the public. “I’m looking forward to exploring the resource with my four-year-old son, whose knowledge of science is little, but enthusiasm is great,” she told BBC News. She emphasized the need to open institutional collections rather than letting them remain inaccessible in drawers and cupboards.
While some specimens are already searchable through major institutions like the Natural History Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, new funding will expand access to millions more items across the country. The database will feature diverse specimens ranging from blind tripod fish to a horse tooth collected by Charles Darwin in Argentina around 1833.
The digitization process involves more than simple photography; it requires capturing tiny, often handwritten labels that contain critical scientific data. Sarah Addezio, DiSSCo UK’s programme delivery director, noted that connecting and analyzing this information at scale was previously impossible.
The project involves 100 museums, botanic gardens, and universities. The initial phase focuses on Wales and Scotland, starting with insects and plants rather than large fossils or whale skeletons. In Cardiff, teams will scan roughly 500,000 specimens, including small flies that serve as sensitive indicators of landscape health. Meanwhile, in Scotland, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and National Museums Scotland are contributing to the digitization of 13 million specimens, representing the UK’s second-largest natural science collection.
Jenny Geroni, head of Natural Sciences and Research at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, stated that the project allows for the showcasing of unique Welsh material while building a comprehensive picture of environmental changes across the entire country.
Dr. Vincent Smith, a research leader at the Natural History Museum in London, described the project as a way to “supercharge” research. He explained that these collections document fundamental historical shifts, such as the Industrial Revolution, allowing scientists to analyze past changes and refine models to predict future impacts of climate change and species loss. Additionally, the inclusion of fossil and rock data will aid research into minerals essential for green technology.
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