March 15, 2014 (Vol. 34, No. 6)
URL:
http://genome.jgi.doe.gov
Rating:
Strong Points: Tutorials, interactive tree of life
Weak Points: None
Summary:
When searching for genomics web resources, one might not necessarily think of the U.S. Department of Energy. However, the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute (JGI) has not only a wonderful and informative website, but it also has its own genome portal site. On this site visitors can find information and DNA sequences related to all of the JGI sequencing projects (which total more than 11,000). Site visitors can search the genome portal by, for instance, gene or organism; alternatively, users can browse the contents of the portal through the interactive “tree of life” diagram summarizing the various phylogenetic classifications of organisms included in the genome portal. Genomes included in the portal span archaea, eukaryotes, and bacteria, and also include “metagenomes” such as host-associated or engineered genomes. The website includes a number of good help sections and site tutorials to get new users on their way.
