CerealsDB 3.0: expansion of resources and data integration

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Rising global populations necessitate enhanced food security, making wheat (Triticum aestivum) a critical crop for human and livestock diets.
• Wheat breeding research focuses on developing varieties with higher yields, pest resistance, and climate resilience.
• Molecular tools and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers are crucial for identifying and breeding desirable agronomic traits in wheat.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present CerealsDB version 3.0, an updated online resource for genomic datasets in wheat.
• To facilitate marker-assisted selection (MAS) for plant breeders and researchers.
• To provide access to validated SNP markers and functional SNP data.

Main Methods:

• Development and maintenance of CerealsDB, an online database for wheat genomic information.
• Inclusion of over a million putative varietal SNPs, with hundreds of thousands experimentally validated.
• Integration of new data on functional SNPs affecting protein function.
• Construction of a web service for data integration and programmatic access.

Main Results:

• CerealsDB 3.0 provides a comprehensive collection of genomic datasets for wheat.
• The database contains a substantial number of validated SNP markers essential for MAS.
• New functional SNP data and web services enhance data accessibility and integration.

Conclusions:

• CerealsDB is an open-access resource supporting plant breeders and research scientists with crucial SNP information.
• Web services facilitate the federation of genomic data, integrating CerealsDB with networks like WheatIS.
• The platform aids in the development of improved wheat varieties to address global food security challenges.