diff --git a/app/controllers/characteristics/index.js b/app/controllers/characteristics/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f94b49b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/characteristics/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import SortableController from '../sortable';
+
+export default SortableController.extend({
+  sortBy: 'characteristicName',
+});
diff --git a/app/models/characteristic.js b/app/models/characteristic.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9eb46ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/characteristic.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import DS from 'ember-data';
+
+export default DS.Model.extend({
+  characteristicName: DS.attr('string'),
+  characteristicType: DS.attr('string'),
+  strains: DS.hasMany('strain'),
+  measurements: DS.hasMany('measurements'),
+  createdAt: DS.attr('date'),
+  updatedAt: DS.attr('date'),
+  deletedAt: DS.attr('date')
+});
diff --git a/app/router.js b/app/router.js
index 9a11680..332bd1e 100644
--- a/app/router.js
+++ b/app/router.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Router.map(function() {
       this.resource('measurements', function() {});
     });
   });
+  this.resource('characteristics', function() {});
 });
 
 export default Router;
diff --git a/app/routes/characteristics.js b/app/routes/characteristics.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b14286
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/routes/characteristics.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import Ember from 'ember';
+import AuthenticatedRouteMixin from 'simple-auth/mixins/authenticated-route-mixin';
+
+export default Ember.Route.extend(AuthenticatedRouteMixin);
diff --git a/app/routes/characteristics/index.js b/app/routes/characteristics/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..348187c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/routes/characteristics/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import Ember from 'ember';
+
+export default Ember.Route.extend({
+  model: function() {
+    return this.store.findAll('characteristic');
+  }
+});
diff --git a/app/templates/application.hbs b/app/templates/application.hbs
index 37e6b90..5c84d01 100644
--- a/app/templates/application.hbs
+++ b/app/templates/application.hbs
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
       {{#link-to 'strains' tagName='li' href=false}}
         {{#link-to 'strains'}}Strains{{/link-to}}
       {{/link-to}}
+      {{#link-to 'characteristics' tagName='li' href=false}}
+        {{#link-to 'characteristics'}}Characteristics{{/link-to}}
+      {{/link-to}}
       {{#link-to 'about' tagName='li' href=false}}
         {{#link-to 'about'}}About{{/link-to}}
       {{/link-to}}
diff --git a/app/templates/characteristics.hbs b/app/templates/characteristics.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c24cd68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/templates/characteristics.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{{outlet}}
diff --git a/app/templates/characteristics/index.hbs b/app/templates/characteristics/index.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b882ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/templates/characteristics/index.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<h2>Hymenobacter Characteristics</h2>
+<h3>Total characteristics: {{controller.length}}</h3>
+
+<table class="flakes-table">
+  <thead>
+    <tr>
+      <th {{action "setSortBy" "characteristicName"}}>Name</th>
+      <th {{action "setSortBy" "characteristicType"}}>Type</th>
+    </tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    {{#each characteristic in controller}}
+      <tr>
+        <td>{{characteristic.characteristicName}}</td>
+        <td>{{characteristic.characteristicType}}</td>
+      </tr>
+    {{/each}}
+  </tbody>
+</table>
diff --git a/server/mocks/characteristics.js b/server/mocks/characteristics.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d6e3813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/mocks/characteristics.js
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+module.exports = function(app) {
+  var express = require('express');
+  var characteristicsRouter = express.Router();
+
+  var CHARACTERISTICS = [
+    {
+      id: 1,
+      characteristicName: 'α-fucosidase (API ZYM)',
+      characteristicType: 'Type 1',
+      strains: [1],
+      measurements: [1],
+      createdAt: "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+      updatedAt: "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+      deletedAt: null
+    },
+    {
+      id: 2,
+      characteristicName: 'α-glucosidase',
+      characteristicType: 'Type 2',
+      strains: [1],
+      measurements: [2],
+      createdAt: "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+      updatedAt: "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+      deletedAt: null
+    },
+    {
+      id: 3,
+      characteristicName: 'Chloramphenicol',
+      characteristicType: 'Type 3',
+      strains: [1],
+      measurements: [3],
+      createdAt: "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+      updatedAt: "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+      deletedAt: null
+    }
+  ]
+
+  characteristicsRouter.get('/', function(req, res) {
+    var characteristics;
+    if (req.query.ids) {
+      characteristics = CHARACTERISTICS.filter(function(c) {
+        return req.query.ids.indexOf(c.id.toString()) > -1;
+      });
+    } else {
+      characteristics = CHARACTERISTICS;
+    }
+    res.send({
+      'characteristics': characteristics
+    });
+  });
+
+  characteristicsRouter.post('/', function(req, res) {
+    res.status(201).end();
+  });
+
+  characteristicsRouter.get('/:id', function(req, res) {
+    var characteristic = CHARACTERISTICS.filter(function(c) {
+      return c.id == req.params.id;
+    });
+    res.send({
+      'characteristic': characteristic
+    });
+  });
+
+  characteristicsRouter.put('/:id', function(req, res) {
+    res.send({
+      'characteristics': {
+        id: req.params.id
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  characteristicsRouter.delete('/:id', function(req, res) {
+    res.status(204).end();
+  });
+
+  app.use('/api/hymenobacter/characteristics', characteristicsRouter);
+};
diff --git a/tests/unit/controllers/characteristics/index-test.js b/tests/unit/controllers/characteristics/index-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d538d93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/controllers/characteristics/index-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import {
+  moduleFor,
+  test
+} from 'ember-qunit';
+
+moduleFor('controller:characteristics/index', {
+  // Specify the other units that are required for this test.
+  // needs: ['controller:foo']
+});
+
+// Replace this with your real tests.
+test('it exists', function(assert) {
+  var controller = this.subject();
+  assert.ok(controller);
+});
diff --git a/tests/unit/models/characteristic-test.js b/tests/unit/models/characteristic-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6445fbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/models/characteristic-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import {
+  moduleForModel,
+  test
+} from 'ember-qunit';
+
+moduleForModel('characteristic', {
+  // Specify the other units that are required for this test.
+  needs: []
+});
+
+test('it exists', function(assert) {
+  var model = this.subject();
+  // var store = this.store();
+  assert.ok(!!model);
+});
diff --git a/tests/unit/routes/characteristics-test.js b/tests/unit/routes/characteristics-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..954cf6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/routes/characteristics-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import {
+  moduleFor,
+  test
+} from 'ember-qunit';
+
+moduleFor('route:characteristics', {
+  // Specify the other units that are required for this test.
+  // needs: ['controller:foo']
+});
+
+test('it exists', function(assert) {
+  var route = this.subject();
+  assert.ok(route);
+});
diff --git a/tests/unit/routes/characteristics/index-test.js b/tests/unit/routes/characteristics/index-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d4da1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/routes/characteristics/index-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import {
+  moduleFor,
+  test
+} from 'ember-qunit';
+
+moduleFor('route:characteristics/index', {
+  // Specify the other units that are required for this test.
+  // needs: ['controller:foo']
+});
+
+test('it exists', function(assert) {
+  var route = this.subject();
+  assert.ok(route);
+});