July 1, 2005 (Vol. 25, No. 13)
URL:
http://baygenomics.ucsf.edu
Rating:
Strong Points: Nice hierarchical design
Weak Points: None
Summary:
When it comes to PGA sites, it is resonable to ask, “what, precisely, is the difference between Berkeley PGA and Baygenomics?” Fair question. In addition to being housed at institutions on opposite sides of the bay (Berkeley vs. UCFS), Baygenomics and Berkeley PGA differ significantly in the topics they cover. Whereas Berkeley PGA is focused on general perspectives of genes in the cardiovascular system, Baygenomics takes a gene-inactivation approach to understand gene functions. The mechanism here is the gene-trap technology (www.sanger.ac.uk/PostGenomics/genetrap/protocols/GeneralInformation.pdf). Other aspects of the site include cell lines for producing knockout mice, in situ hybridization, images for analyzing gene expression patterns, and a program, GenMAPP, that analyzes DNA microarray data. While not quite as user-friendly as the berkeley site, Baygenomics reminds us of the tremendous resources for researchers in the Sanfrancisco area.
