Introduction

VecTraits is a free, openly-available database of disease vector traits, maintained as a part of the VectorBiTE project. It aims to provide a location to collate, process, and explore trait data from both lab and field experiments.

Why VecTraits?

VecTraits evolved from a previous traits-database project: BioTraits. This was conceived and developed to address the lack of standardised data on functional traits of organisms, from individual level measurements such as metabolic rate and mortality to interactions between individuals between or within species. Since launching in 2013, the database has grown to contain data on 40,457 trait measurements from 1,685 taxa through the contributions of a global network of collaborators, including current lead BioTraits PI Pawar. VecTraits is an extension of BioTraits, focusing on data of traits of vectors (and pathogens).

The Backend

VecTraits is built in Web2Py and Python on top of a PostgreSQL database. Unpublished and embargoed data is excluded from the public database view at a fundamental level, providing assurance to both researchers and stakeholders that these restrictions will be honoured until such a time as the data is released into the public sphere.

The Frontend

The data in VecTraits can be explored either initially in a searchable table interface, or at a later date in other more exotic visualisations. Users can explore and download subsets of the presently published data, and can also validate and upload potential datasets in the VecTraits template.

The Future

The database is currently in a state of rapid development, and as such many of the fields and interface decisions are relatively fluid. We welcome any feedback on any current or desired future features, and would love to hear from anyone who feels like their data may fit well into the database.