PhageDive

PhageDive aggregates and standardizes experimental data and metadata on prokaryotic viruses, including bacteriophages and archaeal viruses, to enable comparative analyses and integration with (meta)genomic datasets.

Key Features:

• Data Integration: Aggregates experimental data and metadata on prokaryotic viruses from scientific publications, specialized databases, and internal culture collection files and links these records with (meta)genomic datasets.
• Linking Research Data: Associates external research entries through standardized metadata fields including host range, genomic characteristics, geographical origin, and isolation source.
• Culture Collection Connectivity: Links experimental records to culture collection numbers and repositories to enable tracing of corresponding physical bioresources.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Contains information on 1167 phages from DSMZ (Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen), the Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, and NCTC (National Collection of Type Cultures).
• Advanced Search Functionality: Employs controlled vocabulary and ontologies across data fields such as taxonomy and morphology to enable precise retrieval.
• Interoperability: Interoperates with external resources including NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information), the Viral Host Range database (VHRdb) from the Institut Pasteur, and DSMZ's BacDive and MediaDive databases.

Scientific Applications:

• Data standardization and integration: Enables harmonization and integration of metadata for prokaryotic virus research across heterogeneous sources.
• Comparative analyses: Facilitates comparative analyses of genomic characteristics and host range among prokaryotic viruses.
• Viral diversity and evolution: Supports studies of viral diversity and evolutionary biology.
• Host interaction studies: Supports investigations into host interactions and host range of bacteriophages and archaeal viruses.
• Microbial ecology and biotechnology: Provides standardized datasets applicable to research in microbial ecology and biotechnology.

Methodology:

Aggregates data from scientific publications, specialized databases, and internal culture collection files; standardizes metadata using controlled vocabularies and ontologies; and links records to (meta)genomic datasets and external resources including NCBI, VHRdb, BacDive, MediaDive, and culture collection identifiers.