This project will plan the development of a biological database for the genus Peromyscus (deer mice and 55 allied species). Mice of the genus Peromyscus are extremely abundant throughout North America and are widely used in pure and applied research. Research areas in which Peromyscus is commonly used includes ecology, genetics, systematics, evolution, behavior, physiology, metabolism, parasitology, epidemiology, and toxicology. Currently there is no comprehensive database for this significant group of organisms, although more than 3500 journal articles have been published and several hundred investigators currently use peromyscines in their research. The database envisioned, although including genetics, is expected to contain a broad range of information concerning many aspects of the biology of these rodents. This database, therefore, will differ substantially from the several mammalian genomic databases currently accessible. The long-range objective is to have about eight or nine topical components of the database up to date and readily accessible on the Internet. The Peromyscus Data Base (PDB) will be developed and operated through the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Biological Sciences, Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center, of the University of South Carolina at Columbia. Other institutions may become involved as planning progresses. Several existing free- standing databases will be incorporated into the overall database.
