PHI-base update: deeper insights into pathogen and host genes
ELIXIR UK is pleased to announce the release of PHI-base 5 in January 2025, a significant update to the Pathogen-Host Interaction database. As an ELIXIR-UK-endorsed service, PHI-base has served the scientific community for two decades, providing valuable insights into pathogen-host interactions.
This latest version offers deeper insights into how genes influence interactions between pathogens and their hosts. It provides standardised ontology-based data that is machine-readable and human-friendly, making it easier for researchers to integrate into their workflows.
PHI-base 5 supersedes the previous version (version 4), which will remain available at www.phi-base.org until later this year.
Key enhancements
The latest version of PHI-base offers:
- Standardised ontology-based data: machine-readable and user-friendly
- One-gene, one-page design: for comprehensive gene-level summaries that streamline exploration and cross-referencing
- Expanded content: curating more detailed phenotypes, including antibiotic resistance, gene-for-gene interactions, and mutational comparisons
- Integration-ready: enhanced compatibility with biological databases such as UniProtKB and KnetMiner.
Kim Hammond-Kosack, lead scientist and PHI-base co-founder, says, “This latest advancement of the precision of the information we are capturing will make PHI-base even more useful for discovery research, disease control, and monitoring for changes in pathogens that are of the most concern.”
Research impact
PHI-base 5 has a growing focus on pathogens affecting key crops, such as wheat and rice, and plays a crucial role in advancing research within the One Health concept – spanning crop, animal, human, and ecosystem health.
By mid-2025, PHI-base is projected to surpass 10,000 curated genes, further solidifying its utility for discovery research, disease control and pathogen monitoring.
ELIXIR-UK’s endorsement
ELIXIR UK endorses the invaluable work of PHI-base in the continued development and maintenance of a valuable resource for life sciences research and data integration within the ELIXIR community and beyond.
As an ELIXIR-UK service, PHI-base benefits from the raised profile, ensuring exposure to many potential users and collaborators across Europe and globally. Although Node Service status does not confer additional funding, it indicates the value placed on the service by ELIXIR and the opportunity to apply for ELIXIR Europe’s internally funded projects.
Notes to editors
About ELIXIR-UK
ELIXIR-UK is part of the European ELIXIR infrastructure, which supports life science research and its translation to medicine, the environment, and society. By integrating national bioinformatics resources, ELIXIR-UK aims to provide a sustainable infrastructure for biological information, ensuring that data is effectively managed, analysed and shared across the scientific community.
For further details, reach out to us at [email protected]