About EMMA - Resource Database
EMMA Resource Database
The EMMA-RDB classifies and describes all the mutant strains that EMMA stocks, including their genetic and phenotypic properties. It also constitutes a fundamental tool for the management of scientific, technical and logistical activities carried out by each EMMA partner and for the co-ordination and harmonisation of the resources and services to be shared by the different partners. The implementation of a virtual centre is the final goal. The project implements user-oriented access interfaces, which provide external users with appropriate services for the development and application of protocols and standards facilitating data exchange and the distribution of EMMA scientific and technological resources.
The database was developed in collaboration among the EMMA co-ordinating site at CNR-IBC, Monterotondo, the CNRS-CDTA and the
EMBL-EBI. The partners co-operated in the production of the conceptual models of the database and in their implementation,
installation and testing. They also interacted with the other EMMA partners and the bio-informatics services at The Jackson
Laboratory (Maine, USA). CNR-IBC hosts the main server of the EMMA database.
The EMMA Resource Database has obtained support by the European Commission's Framework Programmes 4, 5 and 6 and by CNR Strategic Projects.
The database models have been developed with the help of Rational Rose and Oracle Designer which helped to organise, visualise and understand the modelling problems and contributed to better communication between the people involved. The models capture the logical structure of the database and are independent of actual database implementation. There are two main packages: "Strain" and "Stock", while other EMMA activities (strain receiving/shipping, sanitary control, etc.) are modelled in separate packages. All packages are interconnected.
During the implementation phase the necessary software was installed for testing the generation of code from models. The code was concurrently tested on three database management systems (Oracle, Postgres, Sybase) to enable its usage on the EMMA partner sites with those systems already installed.
The EMMA-RDB partners interact with primary mouse bio-informatics resources and other genomics/proteomics databases (MGI-MGD, IMSR, ENSEMBL, SWISS-PROT, etc.) in order to develop and apply protocols and rules concerning gene and strain nomenclature and phenotype description in accordance with internationally accepted standards.