Frequently Asked Questions
On the login widow, go to the University of Michigan Guests, and click on Create an Account. Follow the instructions in the box “Request a Friend Account”.
Enter your email address to Request Account. You will get an email with instructions how to create a password.
Then you will be able to login to the application (and ask for a loan) using the credentials you created.
Enter your email address to Request Account. You will get an email with instructions how to create a password.
Then you will be able to login to the application (and ask for a loan) using the credentials you created.
Check the FAQ. If you did not find the answer, click on the Request Information button and send an email to the collections admins. You need to sign in or sign up before sending an email. If you have an UofM account you can log in with it. If you don't have a UofM account please check the '
To check your email, sign in and go to your profile: hover over your name on the right side of the header and click on the name.
To check your email, sign in and go to your profile: hover over your name on the right side of the header and click on the name.
Enter your search term (scientific name, common name, country, state or province) in the quick search bar in the header. Alternatively, you can click on Advanced Search in the top menu to choose the option that best fits your needs.
Search Glossary
Search Glossary
Searches are case-insensitive, meaning that you can search for “Insect”, “insect”, “INSECT” and receive the same results
General Search Field
Restricted to searches for Scientific Name, Common Name, Country, State, or Province due to computational restrictions
Advanced Search Fields
Associated Sequences — List of identifiers of genetic sequences (e.g. Genbank identifier).
Catalog Number — Unique identifier assigned by the individual collection (e.g. UMMZ-PABI-000000001 (MPABI)
Class — Taxonomic rank between Phylum and Order (e.g. Insecta, Mammalia, Reptilia)
Common Name — Non-scientific name of an organism. Can vary significantly by region and language (e.g. firefly/lightning bug (USA), glowworm (Europe), luciernaga (Latin America)).
Country or Region — Political entity or larger part of the entity (e.g. Mexico)
County — Administrative subdivisions of states, provinces, departments (e.g. Washtenaw County (Michigan, USA), Orleans Parish (Louisiana, USA), Acatic Municipality (Jalisco, Mexico), Landkeis Bernkastel-Wittlich (Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)).
Event Remarks — Additional information about the collections event (e.g. temperature, humidity).
Family — Taxonomic rank between Order and Genus (e.g. Culicidae (mosquitoes), Phyllostomidae (leaf-nosed bats)).
Field Number — Identifier usually assigned during field work to help link field notes and collecting events.
Genus — Taxonomic rank between Family and Species (e.g. Aedes (mosquito), Desmodus (vampire bats)).
Geodetic Datum — Reference system used for precisely measuring locations (e.g. NAD83, WGS84).
Georeferenced By — Person who performed georeferencing for specimen.
Georeference Protocol — A description or reference to the methods used to determine coordinated and uncertainties.
Life Stage — Part of the life cycle of an animal (e.g. egg, larva, nymph, pupa, adult, subadult).
Locality — Detailed locality information.
Order — Taxonomic rank between Class and Family (e.g. Chiroptera (bats), Coleoptera (beetles)).
Organism Remarks — Additional information about the organism (e.g. associations of ectoparasites to their host).
Other Catalog Numbers — Unique identifiers by different collections to associate tissues with their vouchers.
Preparation Type — Buffer the tissue or specimen is preserved in or tissue type (e.g. RNA/DNA Shield, Liver, Heart).
Phylum — Taxonomic rank between Kingdom and Class (e.g. Arthropoda, Chordata, Mollusca).
Recorded by — Primary collector(s) of the specimen or tissue.
Reproductive Condition — The reproductive condition of the organism (e.g. non-reproductive, pregnant, lactating).
Sampling Protocol — The methods or protocols used during collecting event (e.g. by hand, net, trap)
Sex — Classification of the organism based on their reproductive role (male or female).
Scientific Name — Latinized binomial name of an organism (e.g. Homo sapiens (human)).
State / Province — Top-level administrative subdivisions of a country (e.g. California (USA) or Jalisco (Mexico)).
Verbatim Coordinates — Exact coordinates in format given by collector.
Verbatim Elevation — Exact elevation in format given by collector.
Verbatim Event Date — Exact date of event in format given by collector.
Verbatim Locality — Exact locality in format given by collector.
Vitality — Status of organism at time of collection or observation (dead or alive)
Go to Collections, select a collection, scroll down to see items, click on Add To Checkout button.
In the Pop-up window select quantity and Add To Checkout.
In the header the Checkout total is updated. Click on the Checkout link to see your Checkout area.
In the Pop-up window select quantity and Add To Checkout.
In the header the Checkout total is updated. Click on the Checkout link to see your Checkout area.
Select some items and add them to the checkout.
- Click on the Checkout link (in the header).
- The Send Loan Request will open the list of questions to answer.
- When all required questions are filled out, submit the loan request.
- A staff member from the relevant collection(s) will follow up with any additional questions or requirements about the loan request.
When you request a loan, each specific collection will require your shipping information.
The Biorepository Web Portal supports the tissue collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ), and is a vital resource for researchers and public health professionals. The portal will serve as an access point for users to search specimen data, explore collection records, and submit loan requests for physical materials used in scientific research.
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