  A key problem in astronomy involves the role of the environment in the
formation and evolution of galaxies. In order to answer this question it is
necessary to characterize a reference sample with minimum influence from the
environment, so that its evolution is completeley determined by nature. The aim
of this project is to provide such reference, quantifying the ISM properties of
a well defined and statistically significant sample of 760 isolated galaxies.
Based on optical, Halpha and infrared luminosities, radiocontinuum emission,
molecular and atomic gas content, compiled from the bibliography or observed by
ourselves, together with POSS-II digitized images, we will perform a
statistical study of the Interstellar Medium (ISM) properties as a function of
isolation, and its relation to star formation, morphology and luminosities, as
well as nuclear activity frequency. This sample will be different from previous
studies by three essential characteristics: a) strict definition of isolation,
b) statistical significance, and c) complete multiwavelength information
concerning the ISM. It will serve to evaluate the properties of interacting
galaxies, which will be of special interest to analyse the large amount of data
that will be generated during the next decade for high z galaxies, with the new
instruments to come. Once the analysis will be finished, the data will become
public by means of a database with free internet acces via a simple and
efficient WEB interface.
