genomic-databases
Genomic databases are structured repositories that store, organize, and provide access to large-scale DNA sequence data, gene annotations, and related biological information for plant and other organisms. In plant science, these databases are essential tools that enable researchers to compare genomes across species, identify genes controlling important agronomic traits, and accelerate crop improvement through informed breeding and genetic engineering strategies.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-13
Scientists have built PCdb, a large online database that organizes thousands of real-world plant gene-editing experiments, helping researchers design more accurate CRISPR tools that cut the right gene without accidentally damaging others.
PCdb contains 6,172 manually curated gene-editing records from 2,132 publications, covering 4,320 unique guide sequences across nine major crop and model plant species.
The database catalogs over 6.1 million predicted off-target sites, enabling researchers to assess unintended editing risks before running experiments.
Integrating epigenomic data — DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, and histone modifications — reveals that the local DNA environment significantly shapes whether a gene edit succeeds or misfires.
