Online resources for gene discovery and biochemical research with aromatic and medicinal plants

The elucidation of pathways leading to the signature metabolites accumulated in aromatic and medicinal plants has traditionally been fairly slow in comparison to progress made with much simpler microbes, where gene clustering for natural product biosynthesis is very common. However, recent advances in next-generation sequencing and innovative new approaches to gene discovery have narrowed this gap, and the elucidation of even complex plant pathways has now become significantly faster. A wealth of sequence data has been generated with aromatic and medicinal plants, and it has become increasingly difficult for researchers to stay abreast of new developments. In this review article, I will summarize the functionality of currently available genomics databases and will comment on future needs to maximize their utility.