Amanda Mackie

EcoCyc is a model organism database that describes the genome and biochemistry of Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655. It is part of a larger collection of pathway/genome databases developed by the US non-profit research organisation - SRI International. EcoCyc is a manually curated database with a collaborative team of curators responsible for reviewing E. coli literature and updating the database. As the EcoCyc curator within the Paulsen group I am responsible for reviewing and updating information on transport and membrane proteins, lipoproteins, protein secretion, signal transduction systems and DNA repair. As well as the ongoing curation effort which aims to add new information to the database as it appears in the literature I am also involved in projects that seek to improve the EcoCyc web interface and to query the database to find gaps in our knowledge. Recently completed projects include updating signal transduction pathways, analysis of dead end metabolites within EcoCyc and a review of transport protein nomenclature. Currently I am looking at protein trafficking in E. coli with a view to incorporating these pathways within EcoCyc.