diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index c96f8e8..b7c7795 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/lib/pq"
-)
+import "fmt"
 
 // ListOptions specifies general pagination options for fetching a list of results
 type ListOptions struct {
@@ -36,15 +31,6 @@ func (o ListOptions) PerPageOrDefault() int64 {
 // DefaultPerPage is the default number of items to return in a paginated result set
 const DefaultPerPage = 10
 
-func currentTime() NullTime {
-	return NullTime{
-		pq.NullTime{
-			Time:  time.Now(),
-			Valid: true,
-		},
-	}
-}
-
 func valsIn(attribute string, values []int64, vals *[]interface{}, counter *int64) string {
 	if len(values) == 1 {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%v=%v", attribute, values[0])
diff --git a/species.go b/species.go
index fed8894..b5dca92 100644
--- a/species.go
+++ b/species.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -28,8 +29,8 @@ type SpeciesBase struct {
 	SpeciesName         string     `db:"species_name" json:"speciesName"`
 	TypeSpecies         NullBool   `db:"type_species" json:"typeSpecies"`
 	Etymology           NullString `db:"etymology" json:"etymology"`
-	CreatedAt           NullTime   `db:"created_at" json:"createdAt"`
-	UpdatedAt           NullTime   `db:"updated_at" json:"updatedAt"`
+	CreatedAt           time.Time  `db:"created_at" json:"createdAt"`
+	UpdatedAt           time.Time  `db:"updated_at" json:"updatedAt"`
 	DeletedAt           NullTime   `db:"deleted_at" json:"deletedAt"`
 	CreatedBy           int64      `db:"created_by" json:"createdBy"`
 	UpdatedBy           int64      `db:"updated_by" json:"updatedBy"`
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ func (s SpeciesService) get(id int64, genus string) (entity, error) {
 func (s SpeciesService) update(id int64, e *entity, claims Claims) error {
 	species := (*e).(*Species)
 	species.UpdatedBy = claims.Sub
-	species.UpdatedAt = currentTime()
+	species.UpdatedAt = time.Now()
 	species.Id = id
 
 	count, err := DBH.Update(species.SpeciesBase)
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ func (s SpeciesService) update(id int64, e *entity, claims Claims) error {
 
 func (s SpeciesService) create(e *entity, claims Claims) error {
 	species := (*e).(*Species)
-	ct := currentTime()
+	ct := time.Now()
 	species.CreatedBy = claims.Sub
 	species.CreatedAt = ct
 	species.UpdatedBy = claims.Sub
diff --git a/strains.go b/strains.go
index ea9e2c1..d25e9dc 100644
--- a/strains.go
+++ b/strains.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -31,8 +32,8 @@ type StrainBase struct {
 	WholeGenomeSequence NullString `db:"whole_genome_sequence" json:"wholeGenomeSequence"`
 	IsolatedFrom        NullString `db:"isolated_from" json:"isolatedFrom"`
 	Notes               NullString `db:"notes" json:"notes"`
-	CreatedAt           NullTime   `db:"created_at" json:"createdAt"`
-	UpdatedAt           NullTime   `db:"updated_at" json:"updatedAt"`
+	CreatedAt           time.Time  `db:"created_at" json:"createdAt"`
+	UpdatedAt           time.Time  `db:"updated_at" json:"updatedAt"`
 	DeletedAt           NullTime   `db:"deleted_at" json:"deletedAt"`
 	CreatedBy           int64      `db:"created_by" json:"createdBy"`
 	UpdatedBy           int64      `db:"updated_by" json:"updatedBy"`
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ func (s StrainService) get(id int64, genus string) (entity, error) {
 func (s StrainService) update(id int64, e *entity, claims Claims) error {
 	strain := (*e).(*Strain)
 	strain.UpdatedBy = claims.Sub
-	strain.UpdatedAt = currentTime()
+	strain.UpdatedAt = time.Now()
 	strain.Id = id
 
 	count, err := DBH.Update(strain.StrainBase)
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ func (s StrainService) update(id int64, e *entity, claims Claims) error {
 
 func (s StrainService) create(e *entity, claims Claims) error {
 	strain := (*e).(*Strain)
-	ct := currentTime()
+	ct := time.Now()
 	strain.CreatedBy = claims.Sub
 	strain.CreatedAt = ct
 	strain.UpdatedBy = claims.Sub