HaloWeb: the haloarchaeal genomes database

To improve data access and facilitate functional genomic studies on haloarchaea in our laboratory, a dedicated database and website, named HaloWeb, was developed. It incorporates all finished and publicly released haloarchaeal genomes, including gene, protein and RNA sequences and annotation data, as well as other features such as insertion element sequences. The HaloWeb database was designed for easy data access and mining, and includes tools for tasks such as genome map generation, sequence extraction, and sequence editing. Popular resources at other sites, e.g., NCBI PubMed and BLAST, COG and KOG protein clusters, KEGG pathways, and GTOP structures were dynamically linked. The HaloWeb site is located at http://halo4.umbi.umd.edu webcite, and at a mirror site, http://halo5.umbi.umd.edu webcite, with all public genomic data and NCBI, KEGG, and GTOP links available for use by the academic community. The database is curated and updated on a regular basis.The HaloWeb site includes all completely sequenced haloarchaeal genomes from public databases. It is currently being used as a tool for comparative genomics, including analysis of gene and genome structure, organization, and function. The database and website are up-to-date resources for researchers worldwide.Genomic data are essential resources for modern biology and are most useful when freely accessible to all. This is especially true when databases are curated and simple and efficient data mining tools are available. Major centralized repositories have been useful, and play a crucial role [1-5]. However, due to the complexity and diversity of genomic data, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to meet all scientific demands solely through these major repositories. Well-designed smaller, more specific (clade or family) databases and websites can be vital for analysis and research, especially for individual laboratories focusing on model organisms [6].The first haloarchaeal genome sequenced was that of Halobacte