Rat Genome Database

Rat Genome Database

The Rat Genome Database is a collaborative effort between leading research institutions involved in rat genetic and genomic research. Its goal, as stated in RFA: HL-99-013 is the establishment of a Rat Genome Database, to collect, consolidate, and integrate data generated from ongoing rat genetic and genomic research efforts and make these data widely available to the scientific community. A secondary, but critical goal is to provide curation of mapped positions for quantitative trait loci, known mutations and other phenotypic data.

The rat continues to be extensively used by researchers as a model organism for investigating the biology and pathophysiology of disease. In the past several years, there has been a rapid increase in rat genetic and genomic data. This explosion of information highlighted the need for a centralized database to efficiently and effectively collect, manage, and distribute a rat-centric view of this data to researchers around the world. The Rat Genome Database was created to serve as a repository of rat genetic and genomic data, as well as mapping, strain, and physiological information. It also facilitates investigators research efforts by providing tools to search, mine, and analyze this data.

RGD's continued and expanding collaborative efforts with other databases and laboratories around the world allows researchers to access the most current, complete set of rat genomic and genetic data available, as well as the most innovative tools for analyzing this data. By making these resources available, RGD will become an important partner in rat research worldwide.