VectorBase

VectorBase provides integrated genomic data, curated genome annotations, and gene expression repositories for invertebrate disease vectors to support research into vector biology, pathogen transmission, and insecticide resistance.

Key Features:

• Genomic Data Repository: Houses genome assemblies and annotations for invertebrate vectors including Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, Culex quinquefasciatus, Pediculus humanus, and Ixodes scapularis.
• Community Annotation System: Enables community-driven contributions to refine genome annotations and gene models.
• Microarray and Gene Expression Repository: Stores microarray datasets and gene expression profiles for vector species.
• Controlled Vocabularies: Provides controlled vocabularies tailored to anatomy and insecticide resistance for standardized annotation.
• Advanced Software Infrastructure: Includes software for querying and analyzing genomic and expression data.

Scientific Applications:

• Vector biology research: Supports investigation of vector physiology and behavior using curated genomic and expression data.
• Pathogen transmission studies: Enables analysis of vector–pathogen interactions using genome and expression resources.
• Insecticide resistance analysis: Facilitates study of genetic bases and mechanisms of insecticide resistance with controlled vocabularies and curated data.
• Functional genomics and gene expression: Supports functional genomics analyses using stored microarray and expression datasets.
• Comparative genomics: Enables cross-species comparisons among vector genomes to identify conserved and divergent features.

Methodology:

Computational methods explicitly include genome annotation and curation, community annotation contributions, storage of microarray and gene expression datasets, use of controlled vocabularies for annotation, and software-based querying and analysis of stored data.