Alliance of Genome Resources Portal: unified model organism research platform

TLDR

The Alliance of Genome Resources is a consortium of major model organism databases and the Gene Ontology that provides a highly integrated platform for exploring related genes in humans and well‑studied model organisms. The project aims to expand coverage to additional model organisms and new data types, especially to support non‑model‑organism researchers in uncovering links to human health and disease, and this paper reviews current progress and immediate plans. It offers a central portal (www.alliancegenome.org) that delivers open, freely available genomic and phenotype data for primary model organisms, gene ontology, and human data using common data models and curation workflows.

Abstract

Abstract The Alliance of Genome Resources (Alliance) is a consortium of the major model organism databases and the Gene Ontology that is guided by the vision of facilitating exploration of related genes in human and well-studied model organisms by providing a highly integrated and comprehensive platform that enables researchers to leverage the extensive body of genetic and genomic studies in these organisms. Initiated in 2016, the Alliance is building a central portal (www.alliancegenome.org) for access to data for the primary model organisms along with gene ontology data and human data. All data types represented in the Alliance portal (e.g. genomic data and phenotype descriptions) have common data models and workflows for curation. All data are open and freely available via a variety of mechanisms. Long-term plans for the Alliance project include a focus on coverage of additional model organisms including those without dedicated curation communities, and the inclusion of new data types with a particular focus on providing data and tools for the non-model-organism researcher that support enhanced discovery about human health and disease. Here we review current progress and present immediate plans for this new bioinformatics resource.