• Key
• Strong Points
• Weak Points
• Ratings
• Excellent
• Very Good
• Good

• Simple interface, significant how-to information
• None
• Rating

• Island Viewer
• www.pathogenomics.sfu.ca/islandviewer/query.php

• No, this site won’t help chase away the winter blues with promises of pristine beaches and sapphire blue waters. It will, however, allow you to view predicted genomic islands (if that is any consolation). Genomic islands are genomic regions found in prokaryotes that are oftentimes associated with adaptive functions for the organisms, such as antibiotic resistance. IslandViewer integrates three different genomic-island prediction methods, simultaneously displaying all predicted regions for a given species. There are also the additional options of IslandPick (the user can manually select comparison genomes, as opposed to using the defaults) and IslandPath (allows one to view sequence features common to the genomic islands for a particular genome). With a very expansive list of species from which to choose, IslandViewer is a useful resource for researchers. So yeah, maybe genomic islands aren’t as picturesque as tropical ones, but researchers are bound to find beauty in the convenience of the computational tools on this site.

• Easily accessed images, Java application runs quickly
• Newer database doesn't yet have anatomical labels
• Rating

• MRPath Mouse Strain Phenotype Database
• www.mrpath.com/visiblemouse.html

• Are you interested in exploring mouse anatomy, without having to break out the dissection tools? Well, the people at MRPath allow you to do just that, providing free, online atlases of MRI images of the entire mouse. The older Visible Mouse Atlas is a helpful tool to learn mouse anatomy, as colored labels corresponding to various anatomical features can be toggled on or off. The labels are also organized by system, so one can focus on the features of the nervous system, for example. The newer Mouse Strain Phenotype Database also consists of 3-D anatomical constructs of MRI images, but it showcases both male and female mice of a variety of strains. Whether you’re partial to c57’s or Balb/c’s, you can explore strain-specific anatomy. The only downside to this new database is that there are not yet anatomical labels.

• Nice links, material for a wide audience
• Nothing significant
• Rating

• National Nanotechnology Initiative
• www.nano.gov/index.html

• Here at the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the smallest of things can have the greatest impact. Now you too can explore this world of smaller than small, by exploring many of the resources available on the NNI’s website. If you’re new to nanotechnology (or you simply enjoy colorful brochures), download the brochure entitled “Nanotechnology: Big Things from a Tiny World.”  The Nanotech Facts section of the page also provides a nice introduction to the field. Seasoned researchers may be interested in the many links to nanotechnology research and education centers, as well as the information regarding funding opportunities and recent research news. Finally, the “Education Center” contains a good deal of information for K-12 students, university students, and teachers. It’s no small feat making people understand why there’s such a big fuss about nanotechnology, but the NNI’s website does a nice job making nanotech accessible to the masses.

• Provides practical photos of plated bacteria/fungi
• Limited photo collection, lacking in background information
• Rating

• Online Photo Atlas
• www.microbiologyatlas.kvl.dk/englishdefault.htm

• Online photo atlas of what, you say? Good question, my friend. Despite the lack of a very informational title, this website does offer some interesting microbiology images (with a focus of veterinary microbiology). What is unique about the images on this site is that the photos depict various bacterial and fungal colonies on plates, thereby providing visitors with a “laboratory-practical” glimpse of a variety of microbiological specimens. There is also an informational section entitled “phenotyping tests” that provides photos of positive and negative outcomes for a number of tests. There isn’t too much background information provided, but there is enough to know what the purpose of the test is (and, of course, the photos illustrate what one can expect to see in the laboratory). This site could use some meat on its bones, but it is certainly worth a visit if you are microbiology-inclined.

• Nice organization
• Certain areas of site sparse in content (materials and methods, images)
• Rating

• SpBase
• sugp.caltech.edu/SpBase

• Never heard of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus? Perhaps you know this prickly critter by its alias—the purple sea urchin. Such is the focus of SpBase, the online home of the Sea Urchin Genome Database. SpBase presents the results of the sea urchin genome sequencing project, including links to various genome annotations. As a website for researchers studying S. purpuratus, SpBase provides a short list of molecular biology techniques used in sea urchin research, as well as an online clone-request form. There is also a discussion forum, although at the moment there don’t seem to be too many contributors. (There are also a lot of unanswered questions, so if you have sea urchin know-how, you can valiantly go online and rescue the researchers in distress.)

• Eye-catching website, lots of information for the public
• Certain society resources not freely available (can be purchased)
• Rating

• The Xerces Society
• www.xerces.org

• What do bees, freshwater sponges, and worms all have in common? (Think back to basic biology…) They are all invertebrates, and these important pieces of the ecosystem jigsaw puzzle must all be protected! That is where the Xerces Society comes in—a society dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates. The society’s website—with vibrant photographs of various invertebrates that flash onto the screen—will certainly catch the eye of visitors, and the many downloadable information sheets will keep them reading for a while. In addition to the many fact sheets, there is also information regarding the society’s programs: pollinator conservation, endangered species, aquatic invertebrates, and butterfly conservation. You can also peruse the informational pages for specific species. Flitting from page to page, visitors will be treated to a wealth of information.

*The opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as reflecting the viewpoints of the publisher, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., the publishing house, or employees and affiliates thereof.

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