PopI: An Online Database for Vector Population Genetics.
PopI is an individual-level Population Genomics Database for arthropod disease vectors. It is the first open database that combines population, ecology, and individual-level genomic information for arthropod vector species. Content is coordinated by the Vector Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis.
Current research on the genetics of vector populations is evolving toward the integration of genomics with classical population genetics. The relatively new field of “population genomics” will vastly expand our understanding of the biology of human disease vectors by providing a bridge between the laboratory and field. Research in this area promises to:
- Define the role of natural variation in complex vector-borne disease transmission cycles
- Reveal new targets for the next generation of control methodologies
- Improve our understanding of how vector populations evolve to avoid current control measures
- Inform the development of vectorborne disease models
We envision this database opening new research opportunities both for vector ecologists/ epidemiologists and molecular biologists. By integrating information on ecology with information on the spatial and temporal distribution of molecular polymorphisms we will provide opportunities for ecologists to explore the genetic basis of vector phenotypes and at the same time enable molecular biologists to explore the behavior of genes of interest as they occur in nature. PopI can be viewed at: http://popi.ucdavis.edu/