Overview[]
Figure 1: Screenshot of the gateway page of the genome browser.
The UCSC Genome Browser is an online database which lists genomes from numerous organisms including mammals, other vertebrates, deuterostomes, insects, nematodes, etc...
This browser allows the user to search specific genes based on group, genome, assembly, position on the chromosome, and by search term (ie. FRM1). Once the search term has been submitted, the specific isoform of the gene may be selected. All data regarding said isoform will then be listed, including it's position on the chromosome, coding region, exon count, size, base pair sequence, its genetic association with diseases and disorders, protein domain and structure, etc.
Usage[]
Figure 2: List of isoforms for the gene FMR1.
The gateway page for the genome browser may be seen in figure 1. From this page, the user may select their desired options from the "group", "genome", and "assembly" tags to specify which organism the specific gene belongs to, as many genes have different forms which vary between organisms. Once the search term is entered, the next page that will appear will show various isoforms of the gene, including those in different organisms. You may then select the specific isoform you are looking to study by clicking on its specific line (illustrated by the orange arrow in figure 2). A new search may also be performed at this screen by typing in a new gene tag in the search box (outlined in red in figure 2) then pressing "go" (outlined in green in figure 2). Once a specific isoform is selected, a new page will open which will list all information related to the selected gene. The results may then be sorted through by the user.
Screenshot of results page
Screenshot of additional results
History[]
Originally built in 2000 by Jim Kent and David Haussler, a graduate student and a professor of Computer Science at UCSC (University of Carolina, Santa Cruz), it was initially intended to display the first results from the Human Genome project. The browser was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and has grown in popularity and usage over the years and is now supported by Compaq in Cambridge, MA; HHMI; CISI; and NHGRI among others.