Overview

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh have been collaborating on projects relating to an on-line anatomy and genomic databases for a number of years. This record of collaboration was an important factor in obtaining funding for this joint project from the BBSRC.

The XSPAN project aims to support cross-species access to tissue-based genomic information through the development of an internet based cross-species anatomy network.

An ontolgy browser, COBrA has been developed and used to author mappings which are then uploaded to the XSPAN server.

A graphic showing an overview of the XSPAN system.

The network provides interoperability between anatomy databases of the key model embryos, which will, in turn, facilitate access to gene expression and other tissue-based data across species, and to other genomics and proteomics resources.