Primer on the Gene Ontology

TL;DR

The paper provides an accessible overview of the Gene Ontology, explaining its structure and how to interpret gene function annotations, serving as a primer for new and existing users.

Contribution

It offers a clear, concise introduction to the GO's structure and usage, aiding researchers in understanding and applying this key resource.

Findings

GO is the largest gene function resource

The chapter clarifies GO's structure and annotation interpretation

Supports widespread research and data analysis

Abstract

The Gene Ontology (GO) project is the largest resource for cataloguing gene function. The combination of solid conceptual underpinnings and a practical set of features have made the GO a widely adopted resource in the research community and an essential resource for data analysis. In this chapter, we provide a concise primer for all users of the GO. We briefly introduce the structure of the ontology and explain how to interpret annotations associated with the GO.