1 Jan 2021 Share: Kansas researchers argue that expanded biodiversity infrastructure will be an essential front line of defense in pandemic preparedness in the wake of COVID-19 as preserved specimens capture the community of microorganisms that use the organism as a host. But, with the number of specimens being deposited in the biodiversity collections stored and curated by museums declining, this key resource requires an open-data framework to capture all sources of critical biodiversity sampling results. Image: Wolverine (Gulo gulo) skulls collected over a researcher's career, now being prepared for archival at the Museum of Southwestern Biology. Credit: Jocelyn P. Colella When you imagine a visit to a natural history museum, the first thing that springs to mind could be dinosaur bones or taxidermized animals. Behind the visitor displays, however, advanced research on specimens collected from around the world is taking place. What's more, this work forms an essential front line of defense in pandemic preparedness.