September 1, 2015 (Vol. 35, No. 15)
Rating:
Strong Points: Nicely organized, easy to use
Weak Points: Requires Internet connection or data plan
Platform:
iPad/iPhone
Cost:
Free
Summary:
Using information from Entrez Gene at the NCBI, the BioGene app allows users to easily search for gene information from their mobile devices (as long as they have an Internet connection or data plan). To use the app, one simply enters a gene name or gene symbol into the search field. The resulting information is displayed in three tabs. The gene tab provides basic information such as alternate names for the gene and chromosome location, while under the function tab users can find a brief summary of the known functions of the gene. The most information is found under the references tab, which provides one-sentence summaries of relevant scientific papers, with links to open the full abstracts within the app. (Additionally, there are links to take users to the abstracts on the PubMed website.)
