PubMLST

PubMLST is a public online database that hosts multilocus sequence typing (MLST) databases and allele libraries for bacterial species. It provides access to curated typing schemes, allele profiles, and sequence data, and serves as a central resource for researchers conducting lineage analysis and surveillance. The platform is built around the BIGSdb software, which manages allele databases, isolates, and scheme definitions, and enables users to browse, query, and contribute data.

Content on PubMLST covers a wide range of organisms and typing schemes. Core MLST schemas consist of a defined set of housekeeping genes used to assign sequence types (STs) to isolates. The database also supports related approaches such as ribosomal MLST (rMLST), core-genome MLST (cgMLST), and scheme-based typing for specific pathogens. Each entry includes allele numbers, sequence type designations, and associated metadata for isolates, allowing cross-lab comparison and population analyses.

Usage and impact: PubMLST is used by researchers, clinicians, and public health laboratories to track pathogen populations, monitor outbreaks, and study evolutionary relationships. By standardizing allele profiles and providing searchable catalogs, it facilitates data sharing and reproducibility in molecular epidemiology.

Access and governance: Most data in PubMLST are publicly accessible, with submission and curation governed by community policies and project curators. The resource is maintained by a collaboration of institutions and researchers who contribute schemes, allele definitions, and metadata, helping to sustain a globally used platform for sequence typing and surveillance.