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Trait databases have become important resources for large-scale comparative studies in ecology and evolution. Here we introduce the AnimalTraits database, a curated database of body mass, metabolic rate and brain size, in standardised units, for terrestrial animals. The database has broad taxonomic breadth, including tetrapods, arthropods, molluscs and annelids from almost 2000 species and 1000 genera. All data recorded in the database are sourced from their original empirical publication, and the original metrics and measurements are included with each record. This allows for subsequent data transformations as required. We have included rich metadata to allow users to flter the dataset. The additional R scripts we provide will assist researchers with aggregating standardised observations into species-level trait values. Our goals are to provide this resource without restrictions, to keep the AnimalTraits database current, and to grow the number of relevant traits in the future.

Trait databases have become important resources for large-scale comparative studies in ecology and evolution. Here we introduce the AnimalTraits database, a curated database of body mass, metabolic rate and brain size, in standardised units, for terrestrial animals. The database has broad taxonomic breadth, including tetrapods, arthropods, molluscs and annelids from almost 2000 species and 1000 genera. All data recorded in the database are sourced from their original empirical publication, and the original metrics and measurements are included with each record. This allows for subsequent data transformations as required. We have included rich metadata to allow users to flter the dataset. The additional R scripts we provide will assist researchers with aggregating standardised observations into species-level trait values. Our goals are to provide this resource without restrictions, to keep the AnimalTraits database current, and to grow the number of relevant traits in the future.

Trait databases have become important resources for large-scale comparative studies in ecology and evolution. Here we introduce the AnimalTraits database, a curated database of body mass, metabolic rate and brain size, in standardised units, for terrestrial animals. The database has broad taxonomic breadth, including tetrapods, arthropods, molluscs and annelids from almost 2000 species and 1000 genera. All data recorded in the database are sourced from their original empirical publication, and the original metrics and measurements are included with each record. This allows for subsequent data transformations as required. We have included rich metadata to allow users to flter the dataset. The additional R scripts we provide will assist researchers with aggregating standardised observations into species-level trait values. Our goals are to provide this resource without restrictions, to keep the AnimalTraits database current, and to grow the number of relevant traits in the future.

Epitope-based vaccines permit the selection of only a specific subset of epitopes to induce the necessary immune response, thus providing a rational alternative to conventional design approaches. Using a range of immunoinformatics tools, we identified a novel, contiguous 28 amino acid multi-epitope cluster within the highly conserved secretory protein Ag85B of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB. This cluster, named Ep85B, is composed of epitopes which bind to three HLA Class I and 15 Class II molecules, and harbors the potential to generate 99% population coverage in TB-endemic regions. We experimentally evaluated the capacity of Ep85B to elicit T-cell immune responses using whole blood cells and, as predicted, observed significant increases in populations of both CD4+ and memory CD4+ CD45RO+ T-cells. Our results demonstrate the practical utility of an epitope-based design methodology - a strategy that, following further evaluation, may serve as an additional tool for the development of novel vaccine candidates against TB and other diseases., AuthorCount:10