What Does Subscribing to LPSN Provide?

Updated

Subscribing to LPSN signs you up for the site's mailing list. The subscription link sits in the main navigation of lpsn.dsmz.de and points to a mailing-list signup page (/mailinglist/subscribe). The page evidence available here does not spell out what messages the list carries, so the honest answer is: it is an email list for updates, and the exact content is described on the subscription page itself. LPSN is a free-to-use service, and nothing in the available material indicates that subscribing involves payment.

What LPSN is, in one line

LPSN — the List of Prokaryotic Names with Standing in Nomenclature — is a reference database for the nomenclature of prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea). It was founded in 1997 by Jean P. Euzéby, is maintained at DSMZ, and is recognized as a Global Core Biodata Resource and an ELIXIR Core Data Resource supported by the ICSP.

What you get without subscribing

Subscription is not a gate to the data. The public site already gives you:

  • Browse by rank — Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species, plus rarely used categories
  • Advanced search — for targeted nomenclature queries
  • Nomenclature and etymology sections
  • Collections, Statistics, and Downloads
  • Submit and Contact routes for corrections or queries
  • FAQ and Copyright information

If your goal is simply to look up a name or check a taxonomic rank, you do not need the mailing list at all.

When subscribing is worth it

Consider the mailing list if you want to be notified rather than to check the site manually — for example, if you curate a culture collection, maintain a nomenclature section in a lab database, or teach taxonomy and need to keep current with nomenclatural changes.

Because the available evidence does not document the list's exact contents or frequency, treat the subscription page as the authoritative description before signing up. If the page does not state a sending frequency or archive location, assume you cannot predict the volume of mail in advance.

Practical notes

  • Cost: LPSN describes itself as a free-to-use service. The presence of a "Subscribe" link is not evidence of a paid tier, and no payment platform is indicated.
  • Unsubscribing: check the subscription page or the footer of any message you receive for the opt-out route.
  • Citing LPSN: if you use LPSN in published work, the site specifies two different citations depending on what you used — one for the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance, and another for all other aspects of LPSN, including the API. Use the citation that matches your source.
  • Design changes: the site notes that after a redesign you may need to force-reload your browser (for example, Ctrl+F5) to load the new page fully — useful if the subscribe link or navigation looks stale.