> enter Universal Browser

The last major update of the Browser was carried out in January 2010 . This brought the data on display up-to-date with human genome build 37 and dbSNP build 130. More than 170,000 variants are now browsable across 368 genes and 22 variant databases.

NGRL Manchester developed the Universal Browser (UB) to display variant information graphically on a DNA sequence. Other sources of variant data lack good graphical displays, and rarely annotate variant data according to the standards used in diagnostic laboratories (HGVS nomenclature). This makes collection and comparison of data from different sources difficult for laboratory users, something that clinical scientists often wish to do when analysing a variant. In response to this need we developed the UB as a common tool for variant display. It is designed to allowed tabulated as well as graphical displays of variant data, as this makes searching and comparison easier, and to allow data from multiple databases to be displayed alongside each other. The UB is used by many as the main method for searching DMuDB.

The Browser provides graphical views for all of the genes listed by the UK Genetic Testing Network (UKGTN). Variant data from dbSNP, the Breast Cancer Information Core Database (BIC), DMuDB and InSiGHT are didplayed as well as a number of other LSDBs. It is now possible for us to configure the Browser to display live data from any LSDB built using an up-to-date version of the LOVD database system.

We welcome suggestions from users for the integration of new genes or databases that they would like to be made available in the Universal browser. Please contact us with any requests.