MicroScope
Microbial Genome Annotation & Analysis Platform

Its relational database schema (PkGDB, for «Prokaryotic Genome DataBase») stores precalculated results of syntactic and functional annotation pipelines as well as Pathway Tools metabolic analysis specific to each genome. PkGDB is also linked to these metabolic pathway databases (MicroCyc). The MicroScope web interface (MaGe, for «Magnifying Genomes») has been specifically designed to assist curators in the evaluation of all available sequence-based (e.g., InterPro domain predictions), context-based (i.e., synteny results and metabolic network predictions) and experimental data (e.g., growth experiments, if any), with the aim of assigning the best possible annotation to a given gene product.

Moreover, MicroScope offers many useful data-exploring functionalities, such as allowing users to perform (complex) queries, comparative genomic studies, and metabolic analyses. It also provides summary views of statistics and information for each genome as a whole. Finally, MicroScope can be used both as:

• a community resource, for comparative analysis and annotation of publicly available genomes
• a private resource, as access rights to private projects can be restricted to a limited group of annotators defined by the project leader.

In addition, the LABGeM organizes regularly some professional trainings sessions about the use of MicroScope platform. General information and upcoming sessions are available on LABGeM's website.