News

BioCyc version 16.0
contains 1763 genomes.
Read more.

Information

Introduction to BioCyc
Guide to BioCyc
Update History
Webinars
1763 Databases
Guided Tour
Pathway Tools Software
Publications
Linking to BioCyc
External Links
Contact Us

Services

Subscribe to BioCyc
Metabolic Posters
Genome Posters
Software/Database Downloads
Registry
Web Services

About BioCyc

BioCyc is a collection of 1763 Pathway/Genome Databases (PGDBs). Each PGDB in the BioCyc collection describes the genome and metabolic pathways of a single organism.

New to BioCyc? Typical usage:

  • Select a database (genome) to search by clicking "change organism database" at top right
  • Enter a gene name or pathway name in the box at top right and click Quick Search

Windows users: We strongly suggest you use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer to interact with this web site [more].
To learn more about BioCyc, read the Introduction to BioCyc or watch our instructional videos.

BioCyc Software: Pathway Tools

The BioCyc Web site contains many tools for navigating and analyzing these databases, and for analyzing omics data, including the following.

  • Genome browser
  • Display of individual metabolic pathways, and of full metabolic maps
  • Visual analysis of user-supplied omics datasets by painting onto metabolic map, regulatory map, and genome map
  • Comparative analysis tools

The downloadable version of BioCyc that includes the Pathway Tools software provides more speed and power than the BioCyc Web site [more], and allows you to create your own PGDBs and build metabolic flux models. Multiple database configurations are available with Pathway Tools including multiple E. coli and Shigella genomes, multiple Bacillus genomes, multiple Mycobacterium genomes, and multiple mammalian genomes.

BioCyc Pathway/Genome Databases

The BioCyc databases are divided into three tiers, based on their quality.

Tier 1 databases have received person-decades of literature-based curation, and are the most accurate. Tier 2 and Tier 3 databases contain computationally predicted metabolic pathways, predictions as to which genes code for missing enzymes in metabolic pathways, and predicted operons.

PGDBs for many other organisms are available outside the BioCyc collection, created by other users of Pathway Tools [more].

BioCyc Tier 1: Intensively Curated Databases

Database Scope Highlights Organization
EcoCyc Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655
Model-Organism Database
  • Literature curation of complete genome
  • Information from 22,895 publications
  • Transcriptional regulatory network
  • Flux-balance metabolic model
SRI International
MetaCyc Multiorganism Metabolic Pathway
and Enzyme Database
  • 1,842 metabolic pathways from 2263 organisms
  • Extensive commentary
  • Information from 33,541 publications
SRI International
HumanCyc Homo sapiens
  • 250 metabolic pathways
SRI International
AraCyc Arabidopsis thaliana
  • 400 metabolic pathways
  • Information from 3,500 publications
S. Rhee, Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution, USA
YeastCyc Saccharomyces cerevisiae
  • 152 metabolic pathways
  • Information from 1,000 publications
SGD Curators, Stanford U., USA
LeishCyc Leishmania major Friedlin
  • 143 metabolic pathways
Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne

BioCyc Tier 2: Computationally-Derived Databases Subject to Moderate Curation

34 databases are available. [list of tier 2 DBs]

BioCyc Tier 3: Computationally-Derived Databases Subject to No Curation

1653 databases are available [list of tier 3 DBs] and ready for adoption [more] by interested scientists for curation and updating.

Create Your Own Pathway/Genome Database

Interested in creating a Pathway/Genome Database for a genome of interest? [learn more]


Credits

BioCyc is developed by the Bioinformatics Research Group at SRI International, directed by Dr. Peter Karp.

Some databases within the BioCyc collection were developed by groups outside SRI International. The authors of each BioCyc database are listed on the database summary page for each database.

Acknowledgments

The NIH National Institute for General Medical Sciences funds development of the MetaCyc database and the BioCyc collection under grant GM080746.

The NIH National Institute for General Medical Sciences and National Center for Research Resources co-fund development of the EcoCyc database under grant GM077678.

The Department of Energy funded development of the CauloCyc database under grant DE-FG03-01ER63219.

Development of the MtbRvCyc and the MtbCdcCyc databases was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under contract N66001-01-C-8011 and by the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under grant AI44826.

DARPA funded development of the VchoCyc database under contract N66001-01-C-8011.