The European Genome-phenome Archive of human data consented for biomedical research

Paul Flicek and colleagues provide an update on the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA), a service of the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and the Center for Genome Regulation (CRG). The authors describe the EGA policies and infrastructure, how access decisions are made, methods for data submission and future plans for expansion of this database. The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) is a permanent archive that promotes the distribution and sharing of genetic and phenotypic data consented for specific approved uses but not fully open, public distribution. The EGA follows strict protocols for information management, data storage, security and dissemination. Authorized access to the data is managed in partnership with the data-providing organizations. The EGA includes major reference data collections for human genetics research.