Throughout the biological sciences there is an increase in the need to access all of the current data available on a given subject. The complexity and breadth of the biological sciences makes it impossible to have ready access to the full data resources on even one subject, leave alone the myriad topics under intense investigation. Mega projects like the Human Genome Initiative have made this shortage of data sharing more obvious to the whole scientific community. Yet, despite the need for rapid action there is a shortage of trained investigators and the need for new theory and systems. An experimental database representing the detailed information about a very heavily studied region of mouse chromosome 17, the H-2 gene complex, will serve as the model data system for broad theoretical and practical development of database tools. The experimental model system offers all of the molecular genetic and cellular biology problems found in larger projects but only focuses on approximately 3 megabase pairs of mouse DNA, part of which has been fully sequenced. This model system will serve not only for theory development and testing but as a training tool for new investigators, commercial software vendors and computer scientists wishing to explore applied database problems. This research platform will be an effective core for outreach workshop and symposia as well as specialized training sessions. This format should speed database development, which otherwise could extend over decades as other new database programs have in other fields.
