GUDMAP

Given the importance of the genitourinary system for human health and reproduction, the need for a systematic molecular and cellular description of its developmental program is clearly a high priority. In late 2004, the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) established an International Consortium of research groups charged with the task of producing a high quality molecular anatomy of the developing mammalian urogenital tract. The information obtained through this initiative is anticipated to enable the highest level of basic and clinical research grounded on a 21st century view of the developing anatomy.

There are two components to GUDMAP, all intended to provide resources that support research on the kidney and urogenital tract.
1) a description of genitourinary development that includes a tutorial, an ontology of anatomical parts and the molecular hallmarks of those structures.
2) a public database that reports the annotated and collated data (determined by in situ hybridization, immuno-staining, microarrays) arising from the project as soon as it becomes available.

The 'About GUDMAP' section gives more comprehensive information on GUDMAP and the project pages introduce the different laborotories involved worldwide. For a useful background to genitourinary development the tutorial pages are a good starting point.