Scientists launch first comprehensive database of human oral ...(ach microbe by its 16S rRNA sequence a d...)

Date:3/26/2008

ach microbe by its 16S rRNA sequence, a distinctive fingerprint of genetic information that scientists have used for the past two decades to identify microorganisms. This sequence information allows the microbes to be placed in a family tree that shows how they are related to one another. For those organisms whose DNA has been sequenced, HOMD provides online tools to view and analyze all of their genes and proteins. Each category of information in the database is interlinked, readily searchable, appropriately annotated, and will be frequently updated to remain current.

Dewhirst noted that although HOMD has officially opened to scientists, the database remains an ongoing project. Weve already assembled a great deal of useful information for the research community, but we will continue to expand and refine the database for the next several years, said Dewhirst. I can see the Human Oral Microbiome Database serving as a valuable model for other microbiome databases now and in the years to come.

Informally called biologys next revolution, microbiome studies have opened a needed window into the complex microbial communities that occupy most parts of the human body. These studies will define how microbes contribute to sustaining health and, when their community dynamics are perturbed, play a role in common chronic disease, such as tooth decay and periodontal disease in the mouth. In December 2007, NIH launched the Human Microbiome Project that initially will sequence all of the genes, or genomes, of 600 representative microorganisms sampled from microbial communities in the mouth, skin, digestive tract, nose, and female urogenital tract. Additional studies are either under way or under development.

Among those already well under way is a NIDCR-supported project to compile a full catalogue of the complete genomes of all oral microbes. It has generated a tremendous amount of data and, coupled with the decades of more traditional studies of
'/>"/>

Contact: Bob Kuska kuskar@nidcr.nih.gov 301-594-7560 NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Source:Eurekalert

0 GOOD

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. NYU scientists set stage for understanding how color vision is processed
2. Scientists launch human oral microbiome database
3. Yale scientists show that a microRNA can reduce lung cancer growth
4. Texas A&M scientists say early Americans arrived earlier
5. Scientists find color vision system independent of motion detection
6. Crop scientists discover gene that controls fruit shape
7. Scientists discover how TB develops invincibility against only available treatment
8. Scientists show that streams are critical to preservation of oceanic coastal zones
9. Scientists to discover why flamingos are in the pink of health -- in the poo!
10. Scientists believe photograph depicts wolverine in California
11. Scientists successfully treat new mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease