Overview of GRACE-a database system for analysis of multiple genomes

The authors have developed a database system to support analysis of the E. coli genome. That system provides a pidgin-English query facility, rudimentary pattern-matching capabilities, and the ability to rapidly extract answers to a wide variety of questions about the organization of the E. coli genome. To allow the comparative analysis of the genomes from different species, the authors have designed and implemented a new prototype database system, called GRACE. GRACE extends the earlier effort by incorporating a set of curator´s tools that facilitate the incorporation of physical and genetic data, together with the results of genomic organization analysis, into a common database system. At the present stage of GRACE´s development, a curator is expected to have a basic understanding of how data are represented in the Prolog database.