A total of eight expertly curated knowledgebases developed by SIB scientists are now designated as ELIXIR Core Data Resources (CDRs) – with the three new additions representing half of those selected in the latest evaluation round, and Switzerland providing the second-highest number of total CDRs. This reflects the expertise of the SIB Groups behind these resources and the quality of the institute’s research infrastructure. The recognition also underscores Switzerland’s leading position as a trusted provider of biological knowledge for research and innovation.
Further European recognition of SIB Resources
SIB’s resource portfolio provides high-quality biological data, knowledge and tools to researchers, innovators, and AI developers. Expertly curated knowledgebases, which are continuously updated with relevant information from a variety of sources, are particularly valuable as a gold-standard source of verified, AI-ready knowledge.
This value is underscored by ELIXIR, the European life-science data infrastructure, which has recognized three additional SIB knowledgebases as being of fundamental importance to biological and biomedical research and the long-term preservation of biological data. Their selection as Core Data Resources follows a rigorous evaluation of multiple factors including quality, governance and impact.
Bgee: a knowledgebase for gene expression
The evaluation panel noted Bgee’s “high overall quality, with particularly strong curation, relevance, and scientific value”. Covering multiple animal species, the resource enables users to know where a specific gene is expressed in different organisms and supports research in cancer, agriculture, and evolutionary biology.
We are proud of Bgee’s recognition as a reference source of curated gene expression data down to the single-cell level, which can be compared across humans, model organisms, and other animals with evolutionary or agronomical relevance.
OMA and OrthoDB: complementary knowledgebases for evolutionarily linked genes across species
The evaluation panel recognized OMA and OrthoDB, part of the SIB SwissOrthology resource, as “scientifically excellent, well-maintained, and of clear importance to their respective user communities”. The two knowledgebases support research on evolutionary and functional relationships between genes, genomes and species – with applications in agriculture, medicine and health.
Switzerland’s leading expertise in biological data
Bgee, OMA and OrthoDB represent half of all new ELIXIR Core Data Resources selected in the latest evaluation round. They join five previously selected SIB Resources (Cellosaurus, Rhea, STRING, SWISS-MODEL and UniProt), making Switzerland the second-highest provider of CDRs overall. Switzerland is also the third-highest provider of Global Core Biodata Resources, with five of the CDRs also included in this international portfolio.
This growing recognition reflects the effectiveness of SIB’s strategic approach to building life-science research infrastructure with lasting value. By supporting resources across their life cycle — from maturation to European and global reference status — SIB ensures that Swiss public investment provides high-quality data, knowledge and tools with international reach and impact.
Sustained investment needed for continued Swiss competitiveness
European and global recognition raises the visibility of SIB Resources, but their continued value depends on stable, long-term investment. Predictable, sustainable support will safeguard data infrastructure and expertise as strategic assets for research and innovation, including trustworthy AI. Such investment will also secure national sovereignty over capabilities that are difficult to rebuild – and ensure the continued translation of Swiss scientific excellence into competitiveness and societal well-being.
