Plant & Animal Genome VI Conference

C4

THE RICEGENES DATABASE, A TOOL FOR RICE GENOME ANALYSIS

Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

Since the inception of the RiceGenes database in 1994, there have been 7 releases reflecting new datasets and novel displays, as well upgraded versions of the ACEDB software. Currently contained in the database are 7 genetic maps of rice, 3 comparative maps of rice (with maize, oat and the Triticeae), over 2,500 probes, more than 3,000 sequences, approximately 200 rice QTLs and 120 maize QTLs, as well as 1,500 references and over 100 rice variety releases. The most recent release of RiceGenes reflects growth particularly in the areas of QTLS and comparative mapping. The pathology section has been expanded through a collaboration with the developers of the RiceBlastDB. Future plans include further development of the comparative maps and QTLs, along with the development of a seamless interface into RiceBlastDB. The RiceGenes database as well as the ACEDB software is freely available through anonymous ftp from the National Agricultural Library (probe.nalusda.gov). RiceGenes presently uses version 4.5 of the ACEDB software, and UNIX, Macintosh and Windows 95/NT platforms are supported. RiceGenes is also available on the WWW through the Webace interface provided by the USDA/National Agricultural Library (http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300). This web site also provides electronic versions of the first eleven volumes of the Rice Genetics Newsletter. The Korean Rice Genome Project provides a mirror site for RiceGenes as well as a CD-ROM version for Macintosh and Windows 95/NT (http://bioserver.myongji.ac.kr). To learn more about RiceGenes please contact Marci Blinstrub, mab8@cornell.edu.