MCScan is an algorithm able to scan multiple genomes or subgenomes in order to identify putative homologous chromosomal regions, and align these regions using genes as anchors. The MCScanX toolkit implements an adjusted MCScan algorithm for detection of synteny and collinearity that extends the original software by incorporating 14 utility programs for visualization of results and additional downstream analyses. Applications of MCScanX to several sequenced plant genomes and gene families are shown as examples. MCScanX can be used to effectively analyze chromosome structural changes, and reveal the history of gene family expansions that might contribute to the adaptation of lineages and taxa. An integrated view of various modes of gene duplication can supplement the traditional gene tree analysis in specific families. The source code and documentation of MCScanX are freely available at http://chibba.pgml.uga.edu/mcscan2/.

PlasmoDB (http://PlasmoDB.org) is a functional genomic database for Plasmodium spp. that provides a resource for data analysis and visualization in a gene-by-gene or genome-wide scale. PlasmoDB belongs to a family of genomic resources that are housed under the EuPathDB (http://EuPathDB.org) Bioinformatics Resource Center (BRC) umbrella. The latest release, PlasmoDB 5.5, contains numerous new data types from several broad categories—annotated genomes, evidence of transcription, proteomics evidence, protein function evidence, population biology and evolution. Data in PlasmoDB can be queried by selecting the data of interest from a query grid or drop down menus. Various results can then be combined with each other on the query history page. Search results can be downloaded with associated functional data and registered users can store their query history for future retrieval or analysis.