The RNAcentral database of non-coding RNAs

在分子生物学中，核心教条认为DNA中的基因编码RNA。RNA分子随后被翻译成蛋白质，蛋白质是执行细胞内主要过程的微型机器。直到最近，人们才发现许多基因编码RNA，而RNA并不被翻译成蛋白质，而是作为RNA在细胞中发挥重要作用。这些分子通常被称为非编码rna。生物学的大部分焦点都集中在DNA和蛋白质上，但最近对非编码rna的兴趣激增。事实上，从RNA制造蛋白质的迷你机器，被称为核糖体，本身就是一个基于RNA的机器。非编码rna也被证明广泛参与调节其他基因的水平。由于缺乏收集所有已知非编码rna的权威和全面的资源，在非编码rna领域以及更广泛的分子生物学领域的研究和创新受到阻碍。有超过20个不同的在线数据库包含不同类型RNA分子的信息。每一种资源都以不同的方式提供信息。这些资源的分散性质使得生物学家几乎不可能发现与他们的研究领域相关的非编码rna的已知情况。在这个提议中，我们将创建一个新的在线资源来收集关于非编码rna的信息。这个资源称为RNAcentral，它将是一个中央仓库，用于保存多种类型的信息。储存的最重要的信息被称为RNA序列。许多现有的RNA资源（称为RNAcentral专家数据库）将通过软件和接口向RNAcentral提供数据，这些软件和接口将作为该提案的一部分而创建。一个专门的专家数据库，名为miRBase，位于曼彻斯特大学，将测试为RNAcentral提供数据的系统。RNAcentral将保存关于每种RNA的公共信息。对于更专业的信息，RNAcentral将提供链接回RNAcentral专家数据库。为了使RNAcentral资源成本有效，我们将重用和修改已经被欧洲核苷酸档案馆和Ensembl基因组使用的代码。这两个数据库位于剑桥附近的欧洲生物信息学研究所。到这个项目结束时，来自英国各地和世界其他地方的研究人员将可以访问RNA序列信息的单一资源。这些信息将以各种方式免费提供，包括通过网站和可下载的数据库。

In molecular biology, the central dogma says that the genes in DNA code for RNA. RNA molecules are then translated into proteins that are the mini-machines that carry out the main processes in the cell. It is only recently apparent that many genes code for RNAs, which are not translated into proteins, and which carry out important functions in the cell as RNA. These molecules are often known as non-coding RNAs. Much of the focus in biology has been on DNA and proteins, but recently there has been a surge of interest in non-coding RNAs. In fact, the mini-machine that makes proteins from RNA, called the ribosome, has itself been shown to be an RNA-based machine. Non-coding RNAs have also been shown to be widely involved in regulating the levels of other genes.Research and innovation in the area of non-coding RNAs, and in molecular biology more generally, is hampered by the lack of an authorative and comprehensive resource collecting together all known non-coding RNAs. There are over 20 different online databases that contain information about different types of RNA molecules. Each of these resources makes their information available in different ways. The scattered nature of these resources makes it nearly impossible for biologists to discover what is known about non-coding RNAs related to their research area. In this proposal, we will create a new online resource to collect together information about non-coding RNAs. This resource, called RNAcentral, will be a central warehouse for holding many types of information. The most important information stored is called the sequence of the RNA. Many existing RNA resources (called RNAcentral Expert Databases) will provide their data to RNAcentral using software and interfaces that will be created as part of this proposal. One specific expert database, called miRBase, based at the University of Manchester, will test out the systems for providing data to RNAcentral. RNAcentral will hold the common information about each type of RNA. For more specialised information, RNAcentral will provide links back to the RNAcentral Expert Databases.In order to make the RNAcentral resource cost effective, we will be reusing and modifying code that is already in use by the European Nucleotide Archive and Ensembl Genomes. These two databases are based at the European Bioinformatics Institute near Cambridge. By the end of this project, researchers from around the UK and the rest of the world will have access to a single resource of RNA sequence information. This information will be freely available in a variety of ways including via a website and as a downloadable database.