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Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center
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<p>The Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (VBRC) is an online resource providing access to a <a href="/facts/Database/VYcpkevb">database</a> of curated <a href="/facts/Virus/mf88Bcbl">viral</a> <a href="/facts/Genomes/tjhWET4V">genomes</a> and a variety of tools for <a href="/facts/Bioinformatic/D5x2L8ee">bioinformatic</a> genome analysis. This resource was one of eight BRCs (<a href="/facts/Bioinformatics_Resource_Centers/hQAFSQ7A">Bioinformatics Resource Centers</a>) funded by <a href="/facts/NIAID/PD8bQnvS">NIAID</a> with the goal of promoting research against emerging and re-emerging <a href="/facts/Pathogens/axMXtV1M">pathogens</a>, particularly those seen as potential <a href="/facts/Bioterrorism/YW2rmVls">bioterrorism</a> threats. The VBRC is now supported by Dr. Chris Upton at the <a href="/facts/University_of_Victoria/cpS82Pgt">University of Victoria</a>. </p><p>The curated VBRC database contains all publicly available genomic sequences for poxviruses and African Swine Fever Viruses (ASFV). A unique aspect of this resource relative to other genomic databases is its grouping of all <a href="/facts/Annotation/dGfVSUKc">annotated</a> genes into <a href="/facts/Sequence_clustering/awYeRtjA">ortholog groups</a> (i.e. <a href="/facts/Protein_family/EHt5xwCA">protein families</a>) based on pre-run <a href="/facts/BLAST_(biotechnology)/uWufGxFH">BLASTP</a> sequence similarity searches. </p><p>The curated database is accessed through VOCS (Viral Orthologous Clusters), a downloadable <a href="/facts/Java_language/9ScgFyAL">Java</a>-based user interface, and acts as the central information source for other programs of the VBRC workbench. These programs serve a variety of bioinformatic analysis functions (whole- or subgenome <a href="/facts/Sequence_alignment/p8GQfF7b">alignments</a>, genome display, and several types of gene/protein sequence analysis). The majority of these tools are programmed to take user-supplied input as well. </p>