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ALFRED: An allele frequency database for anthropology
Michael V Osier1, Kei-Hoi Cheung, Judith R Kidd
1Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8005, USA.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|September 5, 2002
Summary
The Human Genome Project provides data for studying human variation. ALFRED, a new database, makes allele frequency data publicly available to support anthropological and genetic research.
Area of Science:
- Human genetics
- Molecular anthropology
- Population genetics
Background:
- The Human Genome Project (HGP) has generated vast amounts of data on human genetic variation.
- Molecular anthropologists require accessible resources to study human variation through polymorphisms like single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a prototype Web-accessible database, ALFRED (ALelle FREquency Database), for storing and disseminating human allele frequency data.
- To facilitate research in anthropology, population genetics, molecular genetics, and statistics by providing a centralized data resource.
Main Methods:
- Developed a Web-accessible database (ALFRED) to store allele frequency data for diverse populations.
- Considered data integrity, ease of access, and integration with other databases.
- Established procedures for linking to and from ALFRED data.
Main Results:
- ALFRED prototype is available, containing allele frequency data for various polymorphic sites and populations.
- Demonstrated the utility of ALFRED through an example dataset.
- Established inter-database links and contribution procedures.
Conclusions:
- ALFRED serves as a valuable resource for research and teaching in human genetics and related fields.
- Encourages contributions from the scientific community to enhance ALFRED's scope and utility.
- Facilitates future studies on human variation and genetic diversity.