The Genomes On Line Database (GOLD) in 2007: status of genomic and metagenomic projects and their associated metadata

Abstract

The Genomes On Line Database (GOLD) is a comprehensive resource that provides information on genome and metagenome projects worldwide. Complete and ongoing projects and their associated metadata can be accessed in GOLD through pre-computed lists and a search page. As of September 2007, GOLD contains information on more than 2900 sequencing projects, out of which 639 have been completed and their sequence data deposited in the public databases. GOLD continues to expand with the goal of providing metadata information related to the projects and the organisms/environments towards the Minimum Information about a Genome Sequence' (MIGS) guideline. GOLD is available at http://www.genomesonline.org and has a mirror site at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Crete, Greece at http://gold.imbb.forth.gr/

Figure 1.

Statistical information available in GOLD. (A) Distribution of the 2995 genome projects across the major sequencing centers. Abbreviations are for, JGI: Joint Genome Institute, TIGR: The Institute for Genome Research, JCVI: J. Craig Venter Institute, WashU: Washington University and WORLD: all other sequencing centers. (B) Distribution of the 1949 bacterial and archaeal genome projects across the major sequencing centers. (C) Phylogenetic distribution of the 790 bacterial genome projects in January 2005. (D) Phylogenetic distribution of the 1832 bacterial genome projects in September 2007.