Overview
The Sequence Read Archive (SRA) stores raw sequence data from "next-generation" sequencing technologies including 454, IonTorrent, Illumina, SOLiD, Helicos and Complete Genomics. In addition to raw sequence data, SRA now stores alignment information in the form of read placements on a reference sequence.
SRA is NIH’s primary archive of high-throughput sequencing data and is part of the international partnership of archives (INSDC) at the NCBI, the European Bioinformatics Institute and the DNA Database of Japan. Data submitted to any of the three organizations are shared among them.
Status of the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA)
Subsequent to an announcement in February 2011 that NCBI was planning to phase out the SRA due to funding constraints, NIH support has been provided that will enable the continuation of SRA. NCBI will continue to operate the SRA as NIH’s primary archive of high-throughput sequencing data and as part of the international partnership of archives at the NCBI, the European Bioinformatics Institute and the DNA Database of Japan. Data submitted to any of the three organizations are shared among them.
The SRA is managing high-throughput sequencing data from many large studies funded by NIH Institutes. The SRA will also continue to archive high-throughput sequencing data that are associated with:
- RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, and epigenomic data that are submitted to GEO
- Genomic and Transcriptomic assemblies that are submitted to GenBank
- 16S ribosomal RNA data associated with metagenomics that are submitted to GenBank
It is NCBI's policy to make its publicly available data, including that in the SRA, available to others for redistribution so that they can provide value added services, such as tool sets for analyzing data and alternate interfaces. NCBI will continue work on new approaches for optimum storage and retrieval of raw sequencing data and their alignments.