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The Human Protein Atlas becomes pilot project in building the largest European research infrastructure for biological information

[PRESS RELEASE, 21 January 2013] The Human Protein Atlas is one of five pilot projects selected for the construction phase of the European research infrastructure for biological information (ELIXIR). SciLifeLab hosting parts the Human Protein Atlas program will be collaborating with the ELIXIR coordinator EMBL-EBI in exploring possibilities to link the data held in the Human Protein Atlas with other data resources.

 

“We hope our participation in ELIXIR will increase awareness of the Human Protein Atlas in the European research community and allow the data held in the Protein Atlas to be linked to other data resources, thereby increasing the possibility to go from data to knowledge”, says Mathias Uhlén, initiator and Program Director of the Human Protein Atlas and Director of SciLifeLab Stockholm. “The enormous amount of data produced in the biological research is a huge and increasing challenge and ELIXIR is a coordinated effort to approach this challenge. ”

The aim of the Human Protein Atlas is to explore the building blocks of the human body and provide the data in a public information portal. The Human Protein Atlas, funded by Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and hosted at the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), contains detailed information about protein expression in a large number of human organs, tissues and cells. In the subcellular part of the atlas, detailed information is displayed on where in the cell compartment a protein can be found, thereby providing a link towards the understanding of the cellular function of a particular protein.

Other pilot projects in the ELIXIR construction phase are exploring aspects of virtual machine, continuous transfer of major archive resources, simplification of authentication of data for European Genotype Phenotype Archive (EGA) and shared responsibility for production of the EGA.

Read more about ELIXIR and the Human Protein Atlas.


Facts about ELIXIR

ELIXIR will be built on existing data resources and services. It is organized in a hub-and-node model, with the Hub based at EMBL-EBI in United Kingdom and several Nodes located in centres of excellence throughout Europe.

Facts about the Human Protein Atlas

The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) program is a scientific research program with the goal to explore the entire human proteome. New data are released annually to the publically available information portal, the Human Protein Atlas. The September 2012 release includes data corresponding to 14,079 human genes (approx. 70% of the total genome). The Human Protein Atlas has over half a million visitors per year.


The Science for Life Laboratory is a joint effort between four Swedish universities, Karolinska Institute, The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm University and Uppsala University. The centre combines advanced technology with a broad knowledge in translational medicine and molecular biosciences. SciLifeLab is a new national strategic investment in life science research that demands large-scale and specialized infrastructure. SciLifeLab has the goal to become one of the leading research centres in the world within the areas of Health and Environment.


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Last updated: 2013-01-21

Content Responsible: Scilifelab Administration()