SEVA 4.0: an update of the Standard European Vector Architecture database for advanced analysis and programming of bacterial phenotypes

New article "SEVA 4.0: an update of the Standard European Vector Architecture database for advanced analysis and programming of bacterial phenotypes" published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research. Congratulations to our MIX-UP partners and their colleagues Esteban Martínez-García, Sofía Fraile, Elena Algar, Tomás Aparicio, Elena Velázquez, Belén Calles, Huseyin Tas, Blas Blázquez, Bruno Martín, Clara Prieto, Lucas Sánchez-Sampedro, Morten H H Nørholm, Daniel C Volke, Nicolas T Wirth, Pavel Dvořák, Lorea Alejaldre, Lewis Grozinger, Matthew Crowther, Angel Goñi-Moreno, Pablo I Nikel, Juan Nogales and Víctor de Lorenzo to these great results!

The SEVA platform was launched one decade ago, both as a database (DB) and as a physical repository of plasmid vectors for genetic analysis and engineering of Gram-negative bacteria with a structure and nomenclature that follows a strict, fixed architecture of functional DNA segments. While the current update keeps the basic features of earlier versions, the platform has been upgraded not only with many more ready-to-use plasmids but also with features that expand the range of target species, harmonize DNA assembly methods and enable new applications. In particular, SEVA 4.0 includes (i) a sub-collection of plasmids for easing the composition of multiple DNA segments with MoClo/Golden Gate technology, (ii) vectors for Gram-positive bacteria and yeast and [iii] off-the-shelf constructs with built-in functionalities. A growing collection of plasmids that capture part of the standard—but not its entirety—has been compiled also into the DB and repository as a separate corpus (SEVAsib) because of its value as a resource for constructing and deploying phenotypes of interest. Maintenance and curation of the DB were accompanied by dedicated diffusion and communication channels that make the SEVA platform a popular resource for genetic analyses, genome editing and bioengineering of a large number of microorganisms.

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