BacDive API
API Update: Version 2 Available
Version 2 for the BacDive API endpoints has been introduced due to changes in the structure of the Genome Sequences data.
/fetch/{bacdive_id}
/v2/fetch/{bacdive_id}
While the original endpoints remain available to ensure backward compatibility, they are not updated with new data anymore and will remain at the content state of April 2025.
We recommend migrating as new data added in the December 2025 release (and upcoming releases) is only available through the BacDive API v2!
Details about the new document structure can be found under this link.
No Registration Required
From February 2026, registration through the DSMZ Keycloak server is not required anymore to use the BacDive API.
Our API is now freely accessible — no sign-up, no account needed.
API Clients
Example client for the access to the RESTful web service in R and Python
Description of the BacDive web service
The results are delivered as JSON.
Each view contains more detailed documentation about itself below.
Please help us to improve our webservices. Report bugs and change requests, even if these are minor issues and typos. Use our contact form.
The API has the following views (endpoints):
-
Detail View for BacDive IDs
This view contains detailed information on the strain associated with the requested BacDive ID. All other endpoints contain links pointing to this view.
/v2/fetch/{bacdive_id}{bacdive_id}- the number for the BacDive ID or IDs seperated by semicolon. Limit of 100 IDs per call
-
Culture Collection Number
This view contains BacDive IDs that can be fetched using the detail view. Paginated with 100 entries per page.
/v2/culturecollectionno/{culturecollectionno}{culturecollectionno}- culture collection number, e.g. DSM 26640
-
Taxonomy
This view contains BacDive IDs that can be fetched using the detail view. Paginated with 100 entries per page.
/v2/taxon/{genus}/{species_epithet?}/{subspecies_epithet?}{genus}- name of the genus, for example: Bacillus{species_epithet}- the species epithet, for example: subtilis{subspecies_epithet}- the subspecies epithet, for example: subtilis
example for the genus Bacillus
example for the genus Bacillus and species epithet subtilis
example for the genus Bacillus, species epithet subtilis and subspecies epithet subtilis
-
16S Sequence
This view contains BacDive IDs that can be fetched using the detail view. Paginated with 100 entries per page.
/v2/sequence_16s/{seq_acc_num}{seq_acc_num}- the sequence accession number, i.e. INSDC
-
Genome Sequence
This view contains BacDive IDs that can be fetched using the detail view. Paginated with 100 entries per page.
/v2/sequence_genome/{seq_acc_num}{seq_acc_num}- the sequence accession number, i.e. INSDC
License