Apply for access

BIN assignment is a research tool that groups DNA barcodes into clusters corresponding to putative species. Access is granted to researchers and institutions with a legitimate scientific purpose. Please complete the form below.

Use any combination you like — a passphrase of four or more words works well. Complexity is measured by overall strength, not character rules.

Terms of access

Last updated: May 2025

By requesting and using an account on this service, you agree to the following terms.

1. Permitted use

Access is provided exclusively for legitimate scientific research and related non-commercial activities using the BIN assignment functionality. Any other use — including but not limited to commercial exploitation, bulk data harvesting, or redistribution of the service itself — is prohibited without prior written consent.

2. Account sharing and access control

Accounts may be shared with colleagues within your own organization or institution. Sharing credentials with individuals at other organizations or institutions is not permitted. Each person or organization is entitled to one account. Registering multiple accounts — including through affiliates or colleagues at other institutions — for the purpose of obtaining additional token allowance or circumventing usage limits is prohibited. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. If you become aware of unauthorized use, you must notify the service operator promptly.

3. Security responsibilities

You agree to maintain reasonable security practices, including protecting your login credentials, using the service only from devices and networks that comply with your institution's security policies, and not attempting to probe, test, or exploit vulnerabilities in the service or its infrastructure. Automated access beyond normal research workflows (e.g. scripted bulk submission) must remain within any published quotas and must not be used to circumvent rate limits or access controls.

4. Citation

Any publication, presentation, report, or other research output that makes use of BIN assignments generated by this service must include a citation to:

Ratnasingham S, Hebert PDN (2013) A DNA-Based Registry for All Animal Species: The Barcode Index Number (BIN) System. PLoS ONE 8(7): e66213. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066213

5. Compliance

You agree to use the service in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and your institution's policies, including those governing data handling, export controls, and research ethics.

6. Termination

The service operator may suspend or revoke access at any time for violation of these terms, misuse, or any other reason at their sole discretion. Accounts that are inactive for an extended period may also be deactivated.