Blowfly genome

I am using my knowledge of a particular type of nematode receptor to look at other organisms and how they function. As there is no support for the type of work i do in Australia I must do my research as an interest.
The blow fly was sequenced last year and I would love to have a look at some aspects of it but the data is not publicly available and as an individual I can’t get hold of it. The receptors I look at are those that the blow fly would use to determine where food is or where to lay maggots and which way to fly to find the target when the target molecules are scented in the air.
Is there some type of protocol or gentleman’s agreement to contribute data to the public data base after a period of time and if so how long would that be.
Robert

Hi Robert,

If I understand you correctly, then it really depends on who did the sequencing of the blow fly. Genome sequencing projects that are funded by the public purse (i.e. from academic research backed by government or charitable funding) tend to make sequence data available a.s.a.p. The major sequencing centers long ago agreed the so called ‘Bermuda Principles’ to maintain free, open access to all sequencing data. The one caveat being that you should still ask for permission if you do any large-scale analysis of the genome sequence before it is officially published.

If on the other hand the sequence was done by a private company, then there are no agreed standards for how long that data may remain private (only that they have to publish in GenBank any sequences that they they study in any paper). Furthermore, access to sequence data can be extremely limited by various agreements that you have to sign in order to get to the data.

So to cut a long story short, if you think the blow fly was sequenced publically, then the sequence is likely to be sitting on an FTP site somewhere, ready for you to download. If sequenced privately, then you may have to email someone and ask nicely if you can play with the data.

Regards,

Keith