NAR Molecular Biology Database Collection entry number 812

http://genex.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/Emage/database/

Christiansen, J.H., Yang, Y., Venkataraman, S., Richardson. L., Stevenson, P., Burton, N., Baldock, R.A. and Davidson, D.R.

MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK

Contact Jeff.Christiansen@hgu.mrc.ac.uk

EMAGE is a freely available database of gene expression patterns in the developing mouse embryo. All data housed in EMAGE has been generated by in situ hybridisation or immunohistochemistry. EMAGE is unique in that it contains standardised spatial representations of each gene expression pattern denoted against a set of virtual reference embryo models. As such, the data can be interrogated in a novel manner by using space to define a query. This is done by the user, by painting an arbitrary query region for search. Accompanying the spatial representations of gene expression patterns in EMAGE are also text descriptions of the anatomical sites of expression. This allows searching of the database by the name of an anatomical structure. EMAGE is accessible from http://genex.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/Emage/database.

Web (html) based querying Simple querying of the data to find genes expressed at a particular stage of development, in an anatomical structure you know the name of, can be performed in a web browser here: http://genex.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/Resources/GXDQuery1/SectionBrowser.html.

Java-based querying
The EMAGE Java Program can be downloaded here: http://genex.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/Emage/database/ to allow more complex querying than is possible by using the web-access method. This includes querying the database using a region that you have defined yourself. The Java Program works on Windows, MacOSX and UNIX platforms and installation instructions are given. Demonstrations of the 8 types of queries that can be performed using the EMAGE Java Interface are available in movie (Quicktime) format here: http://genex.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/Emage/database/EMAGE_Docs/emagePreview.html. In addition to performing queries of the central EMAGE database, the EMAGE Java program also allows users to make private, local databases to store and manage in situ data in their own laboratory.

EMAGE User Group
Users can register to join the EMAGE User Group here: http://genex.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/Contact/usergroup.html. This User group is intended as an open forum for all users of the EMAGE database. Regular updates and news about the project will be sent to users of the list. Subscribers can also use the list to post questions and exchange information concerning EMAGE. The list has a searchable archive of topics. Help is also available regarding any aspect of the database by emailing the EMAGE Editorial Office on ma-edit@hgu.mrc.ac.uk.

All funding of EMAGE is provided by the Medical Research Council.

Go to the abstract in the NAR 2008 Database Issue.

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