New NIH resources: MICAD and DAVID

The National Institutes of Health have come out with a couple of new freely available online resources that may be of interest to biochemists and molecular biologists.

MICAD (Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database)

The Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database (MICAD) is an online source of information on in vivo molecular imaging agents based on recommendations from the extramural community. The database includes but is not limited to agents developed for positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), optical imaging, planar radiogragphy, and planar gamma imaging. It contains textual information, references, numerous links to MEDLINE, and additional related resources at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and elsewhere.

DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery)

DAVID is a web-based, client/server application that allows users to access a relational database of functional annotation. Functional annotations are derived primarily from LocusLink at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). DAVID uses LocusLink accession numbers to link gene accessioning systems like Genbank, Unigene, and Affymetrix identifiers to biological annotations including gene names and aliases, functional summaries, Gene Ontologies, protein domains, and biochemical and signal transduction pathways. Annotation pedigrees are provided via direct links to the primary sources of annotation, which also provide additional gene specific information. In addition, DAVID provides numerous links to useful resources for genomics and bioinformatics.