Terms of Use tRNAdb
Last updated: 14 October 2026
Please note: the licensing statements below apply to material for which tRNAdb has the necessary rights. Separate third-party licenses remain applicable where indicated.
1. Scope of Service
tRNAdb (“the Service”) is a database and API platform operated by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics (IZBI), part of the German Network for Bioinformatics Infrastructure (de.NBI). The Service provides access to curated tRNA datasets and associated programmatic interfaces for research, education, and other applications, including commercial use, subject to the applicable licenses and these Terms of Use.
2. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use the Service. The license granted to covered data is governed by the applicable Creative Commons license; these Terms do not impose additional restrictions on the exercise of rights granted under that license.
3. License and Permitted Use
Unless otherwise indicated, data made available through tRNAdb for which the Service holds the necessary licensing rights is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Under this license, users are free to:
- Access, download, copy, share, and redistribute the licensed data in any medium or format, including for commercial purposes.
- Adapt, transform, and build upon the licensed data, including for commercial purposes.
Users must follow the attribution requirements of CC BY 4.0, including appropriate credit, a reference to the license, and an indication of whether changes were made. Adaptations are not required to be distributed under CC BY 4.0. Materials from third-party providers may have separate licensing terms, as described in Section 6.
4. Attribution Requirements
When sharing or redistributing material under CC BY 4.0, users must retain and provide applicable attribution information supplied with the licensed material, including, where designated, credit to tRNAdb, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics (IZBI), and original data sources.
Attribution should include, as applicable:
- The name of the Service (tRNAdb) and other identified creators or attribution parties.
- A URL or DOI identifying the Service or original material.
- A link or reference to the CC BY 4.0 license.
- An indication of whether changes were made.
- Publication and source attribution information supplied with the material, where applicable.
Attribution may be provided in any reasonable manner appropriate to the medium and context. It must not suggest that tRNAdb, IZBI, or the original providers endorse the user's work.
Suggested scientific citation:
Jühling, Frank, et al. “tRNAdb 2009: compilation of tRNA sequences and tRNA genes.” Nucleic Acids Research 37, suppl. 1 (2009): D159–D162.
Publication for version 2.0 underway.
Where applicable, users must also observe separate attribution requirements attached to third-party materials (see Section 6).
5. API Usage
Users of the API agree to:
- Use reasonable request rates, respect published technical rate limits, and avoid excessive load on the Service.
- Not attempt to circumvent technical access controls or disrupt the Service.
- Preserve applicable license notices and attribution information when reusing data.
- Prefer the official bulk-download functionality for obtaining the full dataset instead of repeatedly retrieving individual records through the API.
The operator reserves the right to apply technical rate limits or restrict abusive access to protect service availability. These operational rules do not withdraw the reuse permissions granted under CC BY 4.0 for material covered by that license.
6. Third-Party Data
The Service integrates data and references from external databases and other third-party sources. The CC BY 4.0 license described in Section 3 applies only to material for which tRNAdb holds the necessary licensing rights. Third-party materials are not automatically relicensed under CC BY 4.0.
Where third-party content is subject to separate licensing terms, those terms remain applicable. Relevant source information and license notices will be provided where available. Users are responsible for reviewing the applicable licenses and attribution requirements when independently reusing third-party materials.
7. No Warranty
The Service and its data are provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, completeness, and fitness for a particular purpose, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
The Service is intended primarily as a scientific research resource. Its data have not been validated for clinical or diagnostic use and should not be relied upon as a substitute for appropriate independent validation, professional assessment, or regulatory approval.
8. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics (IZBI) shall not be liable for damages arising from the use of the Service, including direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability where such exclusion is prohibited by law.
9. Termination of Access
The operator reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to the hosted Service, particularly in cases of violation of these Terms, misuse, or excessive or abusive API usage. Such suspension does not revoke rights already granted under CC BY 4.0 for properly licensed material.
10. Changes to the Terms
These Terms of Use may be updated from time to time. Updated terms will be published on this page with a revised date. Continued use of the hosted Service after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised service terms, subject to applicable law. Changes to these Terms do not retroactively revoke rights already granted under an applicable Creative Commons license.