ELIXIR has announced the life science data resources chosen in the latest selection round for its Core Data Resources and Deposition Databases.
Core Data Resources are Europe’s major life science data services, recognised for their key contribution to biological and biomedical research and for safeguarding biological data over the long term. This round introduces 6 new Core Data Resources, with the total now standing at 37.
Deposition Databases are European repositories endorsed by ELIXIR for the submission of experimental data. Some already meet the technical standards, governance measures and stability expected of Core Data Resources, while others are at an earlier stage of development, support emerging scientific areas or focus on a narrower field. Two new Deposition Databases have been added to the collection, bringing the total to 17.
Along with Recommended Interoperability Resources, the Core Data Resources and Deposition Databases form a trusted set of services that improve resource visibility and provide clarity for users as well as for journals and funders. Since 2018, the European Research Council (ERC) has encouraged its grantees to draw on resources across all three designations.
Candidate resources were evaluated by an independent panel of international reviewers using the following criteria:
- Scientific focus and quality of science
- Community served by the resource
- Quality of service
- Legal and funding infrastructure, and governance
- Impact and translational stories
- Resource facilitation to scientific research
Peter Maccallum, ELIXIR Chief Technical Officer, said “The resources announced today are selected through a rigorous review process by independent experts in global data resources. By identifying services that meet high standards of quality, reliability and governance, ELIXIR helps users, journals and funders navigate a complex data landscape, while supporting the long-term sustainability of resources that underpin life science research in Europe.”
ELIXIR’s European resources complement the Global Core Biodata Resources (GCBRs), defined by the Global Biodata Coalition (GBC).
New ELIXIR Core Data Resources and ELIXIR Deposition Databases
| Bgee | New Core Data Resource | A knowledgebase to retrieve and compare gene expression patterns between animal species |
| JASPAR | New Core Data Resource | An open-access database of manually curated, non-redundant transcription factor binding profiles |
| LPSN (List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature) | New Core Data Resource | Provides comprehensive information on the nomenclature of prokaryotes and related data |
| OMA (Orthologous MAtrix) | New Core Data Resource | A resource for comparative genomics and evolutionary biology, providing orthology predictions across species |
| OrthoDB | New Core Data Resource | A hierarchical catalog of orthologs mapping genomics to functional data |
| BioImage Archive | New Core Data Resource and Deposition Database | Stores and distributes images from any imaging modality, at scales from near-atomic through to whole organisms |
| DisProt | New Deposition Database | A database for annotating intrinsically disordered proteins and regions based on experimental evidence from the literature |
- Core Data Resources, ELIXIR Deposition Databases and Recommended Interoperability Resources
- Core Data Resource selection
- The Annual Indicator Monitoring and Periodic Review Processes: ELIXIR Core Data Resources and Deposition Databases (2020)
- The ELIXIR Core Data Resources: fundamental infrastructure for the life sciences (2020)
- Global Core Biodata Resources