Mouse molecular embryology

Lorna Richardson, Peter Stevenson, Shanmugasundaram Venkataraman, Yiya Yang, Nick Burton, Jianguo Rao, Jeffrey H Christiansen, Richard A Baldock, Duncan R Davidson, Richardson L, Stevenson P, Venkataraman S, Yang Y, Burton N, Rao J, Christiansen JH, Baldock RA, Davidson DR, Richardson, Lorna, Stevenson, Peter, Venkataraman, Shanmugasundaram, Yang, Yiya, Burton, Nick, Rao, Jianguo, Christiansen, Jeffrey H., Baldock, Richard A., Davidson, Duncan R., Jeffrey H. Christiansen, Richard A. Baldock, Duncan R. Davidson

The EMAGE (Electronic Mouse Atlas of Gene Expression) database (http://www.emouseatlas.org/emage) allows users to perform on-line queries of mouse developmental gene expression. EMAGE data are represented spatially using a framework of 3D mouse embryo models, thus allowing uniquely spatial queries to be carried out alongside more traditional text-based queries. This spatial representation of the data also allows a comparison of spatial similarity between the expression patterns. The data are mapped to the models by a team of curators using bespoke mapping software, and the associated meta-data are curated for accuracy and completeness. The data contained in EMAGE are gathered from three main sources: from the published literature, through large-scale screens and collaborations, and via direct submissions from researchers. There are a variety of ways to query the EMAGE database via the on-line search interfaces, as well as via direct computational script-based queries. EMAGE is a free, on-line, community resource funded by the Medical Research Council, UK.