Siregal, the Plant Genetic Resources Information System of the National Institute for Agronomical Research (INRA)

Siregal is an INRA project whose goal is to build and to maintain the Plant Genetic Resources Information System of the National Institute for Agronomical Research (INRA), France. It relies on a database, gathering descriptions on several agronomically interesting plant species. It is fully integrated into URGI Information System GnpIS . 

Go to Siregal, the GnpIS Genetic resource module

Goal / Description

Genetic resources at INRA

INRA manages genetic resource collections for more than 50 plant species: model plants for genome study, crop species (cereals, fodder, oilseed crops, market garden crops and fruit trees) and decorative species (lawn and ornamental plants). These collections represent significant biodiversity in the species concerned and are therefore considered of excellent quality. INRA seeks to give value to its collections and to keep most of its genetic resources widely accessible.Bases of research projects, these patrimonial and scientific genetic resources help to improve crop species and to analyse genes and how they work. Amongst INRA's duties are the collect of new specimens, the conservation, the characterization and the diffusion of this plant material. These steps must be carried out in the respect of information traceability, more especially as INRA wishes to integrate these collections in accredited Biological Resource Centers (BRC).  Read more ...  

Siregal

That is why a software managing the collections and the associated data is essential. INRA thus decided to set up a Plant Genetic Resource Information System (Siregal) which is universal for all plant species, professional, useful for the INRA staff and its partners, which respects the standards and which integrates the genetic data, existing or to come.Realized in close cooperation with the managers and bioinformaticians of the BRCs , under cover of a steering committee made up of experts of the field, the software promises to be appropriate for the greatest number. Developed by experienced bioinformatics engineers , its quality and its perenniality are guaranteed.The convivial interface of the Web site of Siregal is addressed to several types of Net surfers:

• general public rediscovers biodiversity through genetic resource collections;
• the managers of the resource centers daily ensure the traceability of the samples and the data;
• the researchers connect information of various origins (phenotype, environment, molecular characterization...).

The main stored data are of two types:

1. multicrop passport descriptors relate to all plant species: taxonomy, country of origin, biological status (wild, mutant, hybrid...), pedigree...
2. specific data can be different for each species group and describe the characterization of a sample, in particular from the morphological, agronomic or resistance to the diseases point of view .

 In addition, links towards other databases (internal and external) will allow to cross the various types of information. 

Data analysis

Exporting the data contained in Siregal will allow their analysis in many scientific applications: plant identification help, study of the interaction of the genotype and environment on the phenotype, core-collection extraction, diversity analysis, visualization of the geographical distribution of a character, coefficient of parentage computing... 

Open to other projects

Siregal is designed to store the data from the INRA Genetic Resource accessions, but is also suitable to host accessions from other projects, especially concerning biodiversity.For example, the genetic resources used in phenotyping experiments are hosted in GnpIS genetic resource module.The Siregal project, through its User Commitee, has developed th GnpIS genetic resource module , which is completely integrated in GnpIS. Beside GnpIS, the Siregal web site relies on the same pages as GnpIS, but displays only accessions managed by INRA Biological Resource Centers.