Scientific collections can be used not only to conduct basic research, but also applied. Among other things, they give access to organisms not easily found in nature and, therefore, provide the specimens needed to look at many different questions. For example, poisonous species can be safely distinguished from harmless species for medical purposes. In addition, long term trends in wild populations can be detected, such as the sharp decline on insect numbers over the past few decades. The numbers show that a large fraction of the buzzing diversity has disappeared. 

The venom cocktails of the many species of the South American common lanceheads are deadly, but they are also used in medicine to combat cancer cells. The species look very similar, but their venoms are very different. Scientific collections enable the reliable determination of the species.

Insect researchers working in Krefeld, Germany, have spent 27 years collecting insects and weighing the yield. In this way, in 2017 they established that 75% of the initial insect mass had disappeared. The shocking result showed beyond any doubt that insects are dying off and sparked a strong international reaction.