diff --git a/speciesData.py b/speciesData.py
index 3684522d607b04ef10160e8c14c5b03b4a47d865..2d0ce2157495e15af853053e602ce674b299a68d 100755
--- a/speciesData.py
+++ b/speciesData.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class SpeciesData:
             return string
 
     def __init__(self, parameters_dictionary):
-        # self.config_dictionary = None
+        self.name = parameters_dictionary["name"]
         self.parameters_dictionary = parameters_dictionary
         parameters_dictionary_description=parameters_dictionary["description"]
         self.species = self.clean_string(parameters_dictionary_description["species"])
diff --git a/templates/organisms.yml.j2 b/templates/organisms.yml.j2
index 83ab58f9ab4bb3282af991df6ad0c50c952725f5..e196a2d4e87532c77e6be2a80b5f075e5f7da603 100644
--- a/templates/organisms.yml.j2
+++ b/templates/organisms.yml.j2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{ name }}:
+- name: {{ name }}
   description:
     genus: {{ genus }}
     species: {{ species }}
diff --git a/utilities.py b/utilities.py
index 2bb532d727c8f6cb704695d5ba374ff18a7be12f..30387d570b29bcaa14aa7bcfc93fa5e170f36836 100755
--- a/utilities.py
+++ b/utilities.py
@@ -44,14 +44,12 @@ def parse_input(input_file):
     :return:
     """
 
-    parsed_sp_dict_list = []
+    sp_dict_list = []
 
     try:
         with open(input_file, 'r') as stream:
             try:
-                yaml_dict = yaml.safe_load(stream)
-                for k, v in yaml_dict.items():
-                    parsed_sp_dict_list.append(v)
+                sp_dict_list = yaml.safe_load(stream)
             except yaml.YAMLError as err:
                 logging.critical("Input file is not in YAML format")
                 sys.exit(err)
@@ -62,7 +60,7 @@ def parse_input(input_file):
         logging.critical("The specified input file cannot be read (%s)" % input_file)
         sys.exit()
 
-    return parsed_sp_dict_list
+    return sp_dict_list
 
 
 def filter_empty_not_empty_items(li):