MaizeGDB: Phenotype Data in MaizeGDB

Phenotype/Mutant Data In MaizeGDB

Simple Phenotype Search | Phenotype Browser | Discussion of Phenotype Data for the General Public

Important! You must utilize the MaizeGDB Phenotypic Controlled Vocabulary if you plan to deposit phenotype data at MaizeGDB! We encourage phenotypic data collection in agreement with the CIMMYT/IPGRI Descriptors for Maize and/or the Maize UPOV. Ed Buckler's group has also developed some excellent phenotyping resources that may be accessed here. MaizeGDB curators are in the process of comparing each of these three resources and hope to create a public phenotyping standard that make the best use of information from these in a single manual.

You may be interested in RescueMu mutant phenotypes from the Maize Gene Discovery Project.

You may be interested in EMS phenotypes from the Maize Inflorescence Architecture Project that were produced in defined inbred backgrounds by Gerry Neuffer.

Simple Phenotype Search

If the simple search doesn't fulfill your needs, you may want to try the phenotype browser (also found below), which allows you to specify additional criteria and browse through the phenotype records.

This search form allows you to just enter basic name info to quickly retrieve the desired phenotype. Use % as a wild card.

The example search above will find phenotypes that exhibit purple coloration. Other interesting phenotype searches include %cob (cob-related phenotypes), %cob diameter (cob diameter phenotypes), and shrunken kernel (directly go to the shrunken kernel phenotype).

This search can be executed on every page on the site by utilizing the form in the upper right corner. Choose "phenotypes" from the drop-down menu, enter your search term in the field, and hit return to find the phenotype you're looking for.

You can also browse through the phenotypes visually by viewing images associated with various phenotypes.

Phenotype Browser

This tool allows you to specify detailed search criteria, much like the other advanced searches, but the output looks slightly different; it is intended to allow you to dig more directly into the data rather than just visiting individual records.

Set Up Criteria

Check the boxes next to the fields you want to search; if you just want to find records that have any value for that attribute, check the box and leave the criteria alone. You can use % or * as a wildcard in the text fields.

Show only phenotypes matching this name:
Show only phenotypes that have images of related mutants
Show only phenotypes that are related to this trait:
Show only phenotypes that are related to this body part:

Discussion of Phenotype Data for the General Public

What is a phenotype?

A phenotype is a physical expression of a gene. In other words, phenotypes are the results of genes that you can actually see or observe in other ways.

What value does storing and studying phenotype data have?

Storing this information allows us to make and retain the vital connections between genetic data and the physical results of genetic data.

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Last updated 3:25 pm, Jun 14, 2011.

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