Climate-resilient crop gene evidence explorer
An evidence explorer linking crop genes and genomic regions to drought, salinity, heat, flooding, and related resilience traits using curated public studies and databases.
Project definition
Problem statement
Crop-resilience evidence is spread across species, assemblies, gene identifiers, stress definitions, tissues, growth stages, experiments, and publication types. Similar gene names do not guarantee equivalent biological function.
The engineering problem is to normalise these records, grade the strength of each gene-trait claim, preserve study context, and distinguish direct experimental evidence from computational or cross-species inference.
Project objectives
- Define controlled crop, gene, genomic-region, stress, trait, tissue, stage, treatment, and evidence vocabularies.
- Curate permitted public studies and database records with complete citation and identifier provenance.
- Map gene identifiers across supported genome versions and link orthologues under documented methods.
- Grade evidence by study design, replication, phenotype, molecular support, and directness.
- Search and compare candidate genes without presenting the result as a breeding or editing recommendation.
System design
System modules
Evidence curator
Captures study, crop, genotype, gene, stress, treatment, phenotype, method, result, and curator decision.
Identifier normaliser
Maps gene symbols, accessions, assembly versions, chromosome locations, and aliases.
Orthology module
Links selected cross-species homologues and records algorithm, confidence, and source.
Evidence scorer
Applies a transparent rubric to direct experiments, association studies, expression, and computational inference.
Evidence explorer
Provides gene and trait search, filters, networks, chromosome locations, study comparison, and citation traceability.
Methodology
System workflow
- 01Register sources
The student selects public studies and database records under a fixed crop and stress scope.
- 02Curate evidence
Each claim is entered with study context, identifiers, methods, results, and quality notes.
- 03Normalise
Gene, trait, stress, assembly, tissue, and growth-stage terms are mapped to controlled records.
- 04Score and review
Two passes apply the evidence rubric and resolve uncertain or conflicting claims.
- 05Explore candidates
The interface compares evidence strength, directness, species, conditions, and linked orthologues.
Demonstration scenario
A user searches for drought-related evidence in rice and millet. The explorer separates directly validated genes from expression-only and orthology-inferred candidates, displays chromosome locations and study conditions, and traces each statement to the public source and curator score.
Engineering
Technical architecture
- Web application
- Nuxt and Vue for curation forms, search, filters, networks, genomic locations, and study comparison.
- Evidence API
- FastAPI for controlled terms, genes, studies, evidence records, scores, links, and exports.
- Data layer
- PostgreSQL for crops, assemblies, genes, traits, stresses, studies, evidence, and curation history.
- Biological processing
- Python and Biopython for sequence identifiers, coordinates, homologues, validation, and import adapters.
- Search layer
- PostgreSQL search or Elasticsearch for structured gene, trait, crop, condition, and evidence queries.
Testing
Evaluation
Evaluation measures
- Identifier and coordinate mapping accuracy on prepared reference records
- Inter-curator agreement for evidence categories and scores
- Precision of gene, trait, crop, and stress search results
- Correct separation of direct, association, expression, and inferred evidence
- Traceability from every displayed claim to source and curation decision
- Import, search, network, and comparison response time across record volumes
System boundaries
- The explorer summarises public evidence and does not design gene edits, transformation experiments, or release strategies.
- A linked gene is not proof of a useful field phenotype in another variety, crop, or environment.
- Breeding, genetic modification, genome editing, biosafety, and field decisions require qualified institutions and regulatory approval.
- Copyrighted sources are represented through citation and structured summaries, not copied full text.
Included
- 01Gene, crop, trait, study, and evidence interface
- 02Curation, normalisation, orthology, and evidence-scoring modules
- 03Evidence tables, networks, chromosome views, and comparison tools
- 04Prepared public gene and study records with validation results
- 05Complete source code in a private GitHub repository
- 06Complete project documentation with synopsis, abstract, methodology, biological data-flow diagrams, analysis results, screenshots, and conclusion
- 07Setup and usage guide
Project record
No buyer information is collected on this page.
- Permanent project ID
- GP-BT-1BQK7YK
- Catalogued
- 21 Aug 2026
- Completed
- Pending
- Verified
- Pending
- Demonstration
- Added when ready
Handover
After purchase
- 01Payment is confirmed
The project is marked unavailable and cannot be purchased again.
- 02Repository access is granted
The buyer's submitted GitHub account receives access to the private repository.
- 03The purchase record is delivered
The certification sheet is prepared from the reviewed buyer details and sent privately by email.