diff --git a/speciesData.py b/speciesData.py
index a2fcbdbfafabb742315fa73210b1c4f5fe102b7f..e6862d62e4eebdace8a89b2598b2e18b710dc406 100755
--- a/speciesData.py
+++ b/speciesData.py
@@ -15,14 +15,21 @@ class SpeciesData:
 
     """
 
+    def clean_string(string):
+        if not string is None and string != "":
+            clean_string = string.replace(" ", "_").replace("-", "_").replace("(", "").replace(")", "").replace("'", "")
+            return clean_string
+        else:
+            return string
+
     def __init__(self, parameters_dictionary):
         # self.config_dictionary = None
         self.parameters_dictionary = parameters_dictionary
-        self.species = parameters_dictionary["description"]["species"].replace("(", "_").replace(")", "_").replace("-", "_")
-        self.genus = parameters_dictionary["description"]["genus"].replace("(", "_").replace(")", "_").replace("-", "_")
-        self.strain = parameters_dictionary["description"]["strain"].replace("(", "_").replace(")", "_").replace("-", "_")
-        self.sex = parameters_dictionary["description"]["sex"].replace("(", "_").replace(")", "_").replace("-", "_")
-        self.common = parameters_dictionary["description"]["common_name"].replace("(", "_").replace(")", "_").replace("-", "_")
+        self.species = self.clean_string(parameters_dictionary["description"]["species"])
+        self.genus = self.clean_string(parameters_dictionary["description"]["genus"])
+        self.strain = self.clean_string(parameters_dictionary["description"]["strain"])
+        self.sex = self.clean_string(parameters_dictionary["description"]["sex"])
+        self.common = self.clean_string(parameters_dictionary["description"]["common_name"])
 
         self.date = datetime.today().strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
         self.origin = parameters_dictionary["description"]["origin"]