Celebrating 25 years of The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR): A Key Resource for Plant Research
On October 1, 2024, The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) celebrated its 25th anniversary. Since its launch in 1999, just before the groundbreaking release of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome sequence, TAIR has been an invaluable tool for plant researchers. Today, TAIR supports over 40,000 registered users worldwide and remains essential for the plant biology community.
TAIR’s Growth Over the Years
TAIR has grown immensely since its early focus on genetics and genome sequence data. It now hosts a vast collection of information on gene functions, proteins, gene expression, alleles, mutant phenotypes, and much more. TAIR’s team of curators carefully organizes data from scientific studies to ensure high-quality, reliable annotations for genomic research. Over the years, TAIR developed and maintained numerous tools, like the popular SeqViewer genome browser, and kept essential open-source tools up to date, such as the BLAST sequence analysis software and the JBrowse2 genome browser.
Behind the scenes, TAIR has consistently modernized its technology to handle ever-growing data. From transitioning database systems to moving onto the AWS cloud, TAIR has invested in systems that allow researchers to access data quickly and easily.
Community at the Heart of TAIR
TAIR’s success is closely tied to its commitment to the research community. Feedback from users has continually shaped its growth, and collaborations with scientific organizations, like the Gene Ontology Consortium and AgBioData, have driven forward important resources, such as plant-specific adaptations of the Gene Ontology and data standards. TAIR also supports the FAIR data principles that make scientific data easy to find, access, and share.
TAIR’s dedication to its users goes beyond just data access. It provides educational resources through webinars, workshops, and video tutorials and offers personalized support to researchers, responding to thousands of helpdesk questions over the years.
Ensuring a Sustainable Future for TAIR
As funding for databases like TAIR began to wane, TAIR faced the threat of closure. Rather than letting this vital resource disappear, the remaining TAIR team founded Phoenix Bioinformatics, a nonprofit that shifted TAIR to a user-backed funding model in 2013. This move has kept TAIR thriving, allowing it to continue adding new data weekly and improving its infrastructure. Recently, TAIR relaunched with a new website and initiated a community-led project to re-annotate the Arabidopsis genome, marking the first major update since 2016.
For 25 years, TAIR has been a cornerstone for plant research, empowering discoveries in plant genomics. With continued support, TAIR is set to inspire and assist researchers for another 25 years and beyond.
