Public repositories for genomic data, such as sequencing and expression
studies, play key roles in the dissemination of large-scale studies. It can be expected that
repositories for functional genomic data, such as RNAi screens, will have a similar
important role. RNAi data repositories store information about RNAi reagents and
results from RNAi screening experiments, and present them in a structured and
searchable manner. Implementation and use of robust, public RNAi databases is critical
to realizing the potential of RNAi experiments. These databases allow investigators to
re-analyze deposited datasets to ask new and different questions, and they are a rich
source for functional gene annotation. This chapter describes challenges faced as
databases for genome-scale RNAi screening results are developed: the diversity of
RNAi assays carried out in multiple cell types and organisms; the variety of identifiers
and annotations used to describe RNAi reagents; the lack of an established and accepted
ontology to describe RNAi experiments; and the challenge of curating RNAi screening
results and collecting complete datasets. Examples of Laboratory Information
Management Systems (LIMS) that store RNAi data and of RNAi reagent and result
annotation databases are provided.
Keywords: Data annotation, data comparison, data curation, data management,
data repository, database, genome-scale RNAi screen, high throughput screening
(HTS), RNA interference, RNAi, shRNA, siRNA.RNA interference, RNAi, siRNA, shRNA, database, high throughput
screening (HTS), data repository, data management, data comparison, data
annotation, genome-scale RNAi screen, data curation
