01214nas a2200145   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260001300043100001900056245007000075300001400145490000700159520088800166022001401054       2012                            d  c2012 Jun1 aThe Consortium00aTaking the Next Step: Building an Arabidopsis Information Portal.  a2248-22560 v243 aThe Arabidopsis Information Portal (AIP), a resource expected to provide access to all community data and combine outputs into a single user-friendly interface, has emerged from community discussions over the last 23 months. These discussions began during two closely linked workshops in early 2010 that established the International Arabidopsis Informatics Consortium (IAIC). The design of the AIP will provide core functionality while remaining flexible to encourage multiple contributors and constant innovation. An IAIC-hosted Design Workshop in December 2011 proposed a structure for the AIP to provide a framework for the minimal components of a functional community portal while retaining flexibility to rapidly extend the resource to other species. We now invite broader participation in the AIP development process so that the resource can be implemented in a timely manner.  a1532-298X