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Updated: May 27, 2026
08:01
A Web Tool for Generating High Quality Machine-readable Biological Pathways
Published on: February 8, 2017
MetaBase--the wiki-database of biological databases.
Dan M Bolser1, Pierre-Yves Chibon, Nicolas Palopoli
1Personal Genomics Institute, Genome Research Foundation, Suwon 443-270, South Korea. dan.bolser@gmail.com
Nucleic Acids Research
|December 6, 2011
Summary
MetaBase is a community-curated database organizing over 2000 biological databases. This resource helps researchers effectively find and utilize biological data, leveraging a Wikipedia-like platform for contributions.
Area of Science:
- Bioinformatics
- Biological Databases
- Data Management
Background:
- The exponential growth of biological data necessitates efficient organization of public databases.
- Existing resources require curation and rating for optimal exploitation by the scientific community.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce MetaBase, a community-curated repository for biological databases.
- To provide a searchable and browsable catalog of over 2000 biological resources.
Main Methods:
- MetaBase utilizes MediaWiki technology, similar to Wikipedia, for community contributions and curation.
- Database entries are structured with templates and support user annotations.
- Content is initially derived from the Nucleic Acids Research Database Issue and supplemented by literature and user submissions.
Main Results:
- MetaBase currently contains over 2000 commonly used biological databases.
- The platform supports diverse user interactions including searching, listing, browsing, and querying.
- The database is updated annually with the Nucleic Acids Research Molecular Biology Database Collection.
Conclusions:
- MetaBase serves as a vital, community-driven resource for navigating the expanding landscape of biological databases.
- Its collaborative nature ensures continuous growth and relevance for biological research.
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