# WormBase: a core data resource for C. elegans and other nematodes

> **NIH NIH U24** · CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2021 · $2,053,636

## Abstract

Project Summary
WormBase is the major publicly available database of information related to Caenorhabditis elegans, an
important organism for basic biomedical research, and other nematodes of medical and agricultural signficance.
Although a crucial daily resource for members of the C. elegans research field, our users extend to the larger
parasitology, biomedical, and bioinformatics research communities. WormBase acts as a central forum through
which every research group can contribute to the global effort to comprehend nematode genomes and biology.
Most users access WormBase via the Internet (www.wormbase.org); some install the database locally.
WormBase offers extensive coverage of C. elegans core genomic, genetic, anatomical and functional
information, allowing the biomedical community to fully utilize the results of intensive molecular genetic analyses
and functional genomic studies of this organism in the study of human disease. These data include all available
nematode genomic data (such as genome sequence, transcripts and cis-regulatory sites prioritized by species),
large-scale functional genomic datasets, the function and interactions of genes and gene products as they relate
to development, physiology and behavior, and biological reagents and their source information. WormBase
comprises a set of databases storing a wide range of biological information; a website that allows users to access
stored information and precomputed analyses based on these data; and tools for programmatic access such as
an application programming interface, a data mining platform, and bulk downloads. Curation activities include
extraction and integration of information from the literature (assisted by the use of information retrieval tools),
incorporation of large-scale datasets from a range of research projects, and gene model verification from
experimental data. We will curate many nematode genome sequences, along with their annotations and core
genetic information, as well as data on gene function, pathways and transcriptional regulatory networks for C.
elegans and select other species. We will expand tools available for data mining, workflow management,
visualization, and community annotation, and integrate, store and distribute data in a maintainable, interoperable
and scalable system. The project team involves three sites: Caltech primarily curates functional information and
develops ontologies; EBI carries out sequence-based curation and builds databases for public release; and
OICR develops and supports the web presence and visualization. The three sites work closely together and
share tasks to ensure timely incorporation, storage and display of information, as well as user outreach and
education.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10227167
- **Project number:** 5U24HG002223-22
- **Recipient organization:** CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kevin Howe
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $2,053,636
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2000-07-20 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10227167

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10227167, WormBase: a core data resource for C. elegans and other nematodes (5U24HG002223-22). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10227167. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*