Databases /Health Sciences /Genetics

Databases

BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool)
BLAST finds regions of similarity between nucleotide or protein sequences and calculates their statistical significance. It can be used to infer functional and evolutionary relationships between sequences and help identify members of gene families.

Covidence (Pilot access provided until Dec 2025)
Covidence is a collaborative tool that streamlines systematic review workflows for screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. See instructions for requesting an account.

Gene
Gene integrates information from a wide range of species. A record may include nomenclature, Reference Sequences (RefSeqs), maps, pathways, variations, phenotypes, and links to genome-, phenotype-, and locus-specific resources worldwide.

Genetics AbstractsVCU VIVA
Focuses on the widest possible perspective of genetics as a whole, from microbes to plants to humans, emphasizing molecular genetics.

Genome Data Viewer (NCBI)
NCBI's Genome Data Viewer is a genome browser supporting the exploration and analysis of eukaryotic RefSeq genome assemblies. It allows users to visualize different types of sequence-associated data in a genomic context.

JoVE (formerly Journal of Visualized Experiments)VCU
Streaming video resource that includes a peer-reviewed physical and life sciences journal, as well as a science education library. Subjects covered include biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental sciences, medicine, and more.

LWW Health Library: Premium Basic Sciences CollectionVCU
This ebook collection includes core biomedical science texts in anatomy, microbiology, pathology, physiology, and more. Also includes Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking.

MedlinePlus Genetics (formerly Genetics Home Reference)
View consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variation on human health. Content from Genetics Home Reference has been transferred to this resource.

NCBI Global Query
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides access to biomedical and genomic information. This query allows you to search across NCBI databases simultaneously. Results indicate the number of records in each database.

OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man)
OMIM is a comprehensive, authoritative compendium of human genes and genetic phenotypes that is freely available and updated daily. OMIM is authored and edited at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

PubMed/MEDLINEVCU
The National Library of Medicine's (NLM) foremost biomedical and life sciences database. Includes citations and abstracts from MEDLINE, life sciences journals, and online books.

Structure (NCBI)
Three-dimensional structures provide a wealth of information on the biological function and the evolutionary history of macromolecules. This database contains experimentally-determined structures, along with tools to investigate these structures.

VAST (Vector Alignment Search Tool)
Computer algorithm developed at NCBI used to identify similar protein 3-dimensional structures by purely geometric criteria, and to identify distant homologs that cannot be recognized by sequence comparison.