diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5db5c40da457cb8918a337c4107ff14745bb16b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# For checking that no file has been unduly ignored, run:
+# $ git ls-files -i --exclude-per-directory=.gitignore
+# Any file that is displayed should be removed from the ignore list
+# (possibly by an exclusion rule beginning with an exclamation mark)
+
+# Generic ignore rules
+*~
+*.o
+*.a
+*.fig
+\#*\#
+*.mat
+*.asv
+
+/missing_dbnomics
\ No newline at end of file