Ensembl Core

Database Descriptions

Core database

For each organism supported by Ensembl, a species-specific Ensembl Core database stores the bulk of annotation information. Some of the key features are:

EST database

For well-characterised species with a reasonable amount of biological sequence records as supporting evidence Ensembl provides an independent EST gene set, which is solely based on EST information. The key features stored are:

Please note that Ensembl EST databases do not contain genome sequences. This saves disk space and by connecting to Core and the EST databases simultaneously, it is still possible to retrieve sequence information.

Database Schema

The layout of Ensembl Core and EST Databases is identical so that schema descriptions and API access apply similarly. The database table layout is explained in the following document:

Perl API

A comprehensive Perl Application Programme Interface (API) provides efficient access to tables within the Ensembl Core and EST databases.

Ensembl Software Support

Ensembl is an open project and we would like to encourage correspondence and discussions on any subject on any aspect of Ensembl. Please see the Ensembl Contacts page for suitable options getting in touch with us.