The Rat Genome Database has a disease portal. These portals offer disease-specific data and right now include cardiovascular, neurological and obesity/metabolic syndrome disease portals. There’s a cancer disease portal coming.  If you go to the link, you’ll see they also have a short tutorial they added last month on the portal that has also been uploaded to SciVee (if you haven’t seen it already, SciVee is a community of pubcasts, or video casts of publications. Check it out).

OpenHelix today announced the availability of new tutorial suites on two genetic disease resources: GeneTests and Genetic Home Reference. GeneTests is an integrated resource designed to provide access to current genetic testing and other clinical genetics information for clinicians, biomedical professionals and researchers. Genetic Home Reference is an extensive collection of data that describe the effects of genetic variability on human health and disease written in lay language for both the general public and researchers.

The tutorial suites, available for single purchase or through a low-priced yearly subscription to all OpenHelix tutorials, contain a narrated, self-run, online tutorial, slides, handouts and exercises. With the tutorials, researchers can quickly learn to effectively and efficiently use these resources. These tutorials will teach users:

GeneTests

• to perform disease-specific searches and navigate the GeneTests site
• to understand the GeneReviews and Laboratory Directory Displays
• to access additional searches to query the GeneReviews and Laboratory Directory databases by disease feature, gene and protein specific searches, and more
• to identify U.S. and international laboratories offering molecular genetic testing for specific disorders, use the Clinical Directory to locate genetics professionals and services, and investigate additional educational and other resources

Genetic Home Reference (GHR)

• How to search by genetic disease, condition, or syndrome, gene or chromosome
• To access more general or more specific information on genetic conditions, genes or chromosomes
• To browse GHR and explore its resources like the genetic handbook and glossary
• Methods to stay current in the latest developments in genetics

To find out more about these and other tutorial suites visit OpenHelix or the OpenHelix blog for up-to-date information on genomics. About OpenHelix
OpenHelix, LLC, (http://www.openhelix.com) provides the genomics knowledge you need when you need it. OpenHelix currently provides online self-run tutorials and on-site training for institutions and companies on the most powerful and popular free, web based, publicly accessible bioinformatics resources. In addition, OpenHelix is contracted by resource providers to provide comprehensive, long-term training and outreach programs.