antgenomes.org

antgenomes.org aggregates and curates genomic and transcriptomic sequence data for ants and related species (bees and wasps) to support research in evolutionary biology, ecology, and molecular genetics.

Key Features:

• Data Curation and Sharing: Curates genetic, molecular, and functional genomic datasets and integrates protocols and datasets from published studies.
• Advanced Assembly Pipeline: Groups nucleotide sequences into clusters for independent assembly using the Fourmidable assembly pipeline.
• Comprehensive Annotation: Annotates assembled sequences with Interproscan and BLAST searches against general and insect-specific databases.
• Gene-Specific Retrieval: Enables retrieval by gene identifiers, sequence similarity searches, and browsing inferred Gene Ontology (GO) annotations.
• Scalability and Expansion: Scales to ultra-high throughput sequencing data and incorporates sequences from newly sequenced species.
• Data Accessibility: Provides BLAST search capabilities and downloadable datasets for downstream analysis.

Scientific Applications:

• Evolutionary Studies: Comparative genomic data across multiple ant species and other Hymenoptera support analyses of evolutionary relationships and adaptations.
• Functional Genomics: Detailed annotations and gene-centric retrieval enable studies of gene function and regulation in ants.
• Comparative Genomics: Inclusion of bees and wasps facilitates comparative analyses to investigate the genetic basis of ecological and behavioral traits.
• Transcriptomic Research: Integration of transcriptomic data, including microarray gene expression datasets, supports expression pattern analyses.

Methodology:

nucleotide sequences are clustered and independently assembled using the Fourmidable pipeline, and assembled sequences are annotated with Interproscan and BLAST searches.