Penn Awarded $23.4 Million Contract for Pathogen Genomics Database
Since 2000, a team led by University of Pennsylvania and University of Georgia scientists has been responsible for developing genome database resources for microbial pathogens, including the parasites responsible for malaria, sleeping sickness, toxoplasmosis and many other diseases. To ensure this important work will continue, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease has awarded Penn and UGA a new contract for 2014-15 worth $4.3 million. Assuming annual renewal, this five-year award is expected to total $23.4 million.
New technologies make it possible to capture information about all genes in the genome. Such advances have ushered in the era of “Big Data,” where biologists collect immense datasets, seeking patterns that may explain important diseases or identify drug and vaccine targets. But to be useful this deluge of data must be organized, maintained and made accessible to researchers.
The Eukaryotic Pathogen Genomics Database, or EuPathDB, provides the global scientific community with free access to a wealth of genomic data related to pathogens important to human health and biosecurity. EuPathDB expedites biomedical research in the lab, field, and clinic, enabling the development of innovative diagnostics, therapies and vaccines. The database has been cited more than 8,000 times in the scientific literature, and receives over 6.5 million hits each month, from visitors in more than 100 countries.
EuPathDB is directed by principal investigators David S. Roos, E. Otis Kendall Professor of Biology in Penn Arts and Sciences, and Jessica C. Kissinger, director of the Institute of Bioinformatics at the University of Georgia. Christian Stoeckert of Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine is a co-investigator.
“It is truly inspiring to see how access to these on-line resources has helped to invigorate and engage scientific colleagues around the world,” Roos said. “EuPathDB occupies a large global footprint.”
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