Model organism database

Model organism databases (MODs) are biological databases, or knowledgebases, dedicated to the provision of in-depth biological data for intensively studied model organisms. MODs allow researchers to easily find background information on large sets of genes, efficiently plan experiments, integrate their data with existing knowledge, and formulate new hypotheses .[1][2] They allow users to analyse results and interpret datasets, and the data they generate are increasingly used to describe less well studied species.[1] Where possible, MODs share common approaches to collect and represent biological information. For example, all MODs use the Gene Ontology (GO)[3][4] to describe functions, processes and cellular locations of specific gene products. Projects also exist to enable software sharing for curation, visualization and querying between different MODs.[5] Organismal diversity and varying user requirements however mean that MODs are often required to customize capture, display, and provision of data.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Oliver SG, Lock A, Harris MA, Nurse P, Wood V (June 2016). "Model organism databases: essential resources that need the support of both funders and users". BMC Biology. 14 (1): 49. doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0276-z. PMC 4918006. PMID 27334346.
  2. ^ Bond M, Holthaus SM, Tammen I, Tear G, Russell C (November 2013). "Use of model organisms for the study of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease. 1832 (11): 1842–65. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2013.01.009. PMID 23338040.
  3. ^ Ashburner M, Ball CA, Blake JA, Botstein D, Butler H, Cherry JM, et al. (May 2000). "Gene ontology: tool for the unification of biology. The Gene Ontology Consortium". Nature Genetics. 25 (1): 25–9. doi:10.1038/75556. PMC 3037419. PMID 10802651.
  4. ^ Gene Ontology Consortium (January 2015). "Gene Ontology Consortium: going forward". Nucleic Acids Research. 43 (Database issue): D1049-56. doi:10.1093/nar/gku1179. PMC 4383973. PMID 25428369.
  5. ^ O'Connor BD, Day A, Cain S, Arnaiz O, Sperling L, Stein LD (2008). "GMODWeb: a web framework for the Generic Model Organism Database". Genome Biology. 9 (6): R102. doi:10.1186/gb-2008-9-6-r102. PMC 2481422. PMID 18570664.