The DFCI Gene Indices | ||
Frequently Asked Questions About the DFCI Gene Indices | ||
The purpose of this page is to provide answers for commonly asked questions about the DFCI's Gene Indices.
Before you begin, please note:
- All of the Gene Indices are built with the same structure so the answers to the questions are valid for
ANY of the gene indices.
- All answers requiring navigation of TGI web pages begin from the main index page,
links are provided for each of the species by clicking on the picture icon or the organism name.
Category: Logistics
- What is the DFCI Gene Index Project??
- How often are the gene indices updated?
- What are the criteria for update and how do I find out what has been updated?
- Can I request an update for a given gene index or creation of a new gene index?
- How do I find out about new features added to the indices?
- How many organisms are in the DFCI gene indices?
- How are the gene indices supported?
- Who do I contact for requests or questions?
1. What is the DFCI Gene Index Project?
The DFCI Gene Index Project creates organism specific databases aiming to provide an analysis of publicly available EST
and gene sequence data to identify transcripts.
The organism specific gene indices can be accessed through the icons on the main gene index page.
2. How often are the gene indices updated?
The gene indices that meet the update criteria are updated three times a year.
The scheduled release dates are Feb 1, June 1, and Oct 1.
The determination of which gene indices to update is made approximately two months prior to the release date.
Any request for update should be made prior to the determination date.
3. What are the criteria for update and how do I find out what has been updated?
A gene index is updated if meeting one of the following criteria:
- More than 10% new sequences since the last release (ESTs or gene sequences).
- More than 25,000 new sequences since the last release.
- More than 1 year old.
A list of organisms that had been updated for the current release is in the What's New page.
4. Can I request an update for a given gene index or creation of a new gene index?
All the gene indices are checked against the update criteria (Question #3) two months prior to the scheduled release date.
However, if you are planning to submit sequences to dbEST resulting in meeting the update criteria later than
the determination day, please notify us and the update schedule for that gene index can be slightly adjusted.
A new gene index may be created by request for an eukaryotic organism having significant EST data (~50,000).
Other considerations will be taken into account as well.
The option of creating your own gene index is also availalbe.
Please check the TGI Software Page.
5. How do I find out about new features added to the indices?
New features and new tools are constantly being added / improved for the DFCI Gene Indices.
Please check out our What's New page for such information.
6. How many organisms are in the DFCI gene indices?
As of June 1, 2003, there are 61 publicly available gene indices.
They are separated into 4 categories for better organization and easier access.
- Animal: 22
- Plant: 19
- Protist: 13
- Fungal: 7
7. How are the gene indices supported?
The DFCI Gene Index Project is supported by grant fundings from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
8.Who do I contact for requests or questions?
The DFCI Gene Index team is here to assist you in any gene index related questions or requests.
We would like to hear any comments or suggestions that you may have as well.
Please write to us.
Comments and suggestions: contact us.
| Acknowledgements | |
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The Gene Index Project is supported in part by funding from the US National Science Foundation through grant #DBI-0552416. |
 
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