SYNTHESYS aims to produce an accessible, integrated European resource for research users in the natural sciences. SYNTHESYS will create a shared, high quality approach to the management, preservation, and access to leading European natural history collections. A core element in SYNTHESYS is to provide funded researcher visits (Access) to the 337,204,000 specimens housed by SYNTHESYS institutions. In particular, the 4,058,500 type specimens. Alongside the Access, a Joint Research Activity (JRA) will deliver new tools to enable Users to more efficiently extract DNA from valuable archive material. Network Activities (NA) will provide enhanced quality and quantity of online collections information to virtual Users and will implement best practice benchmarks in collections care to raise standards and improve accessibility to collections for all physical Users.