ARKbase: Antimicrobial Resistance Knowledgebase1.0

Nucleic Acids Res. 2026 Jan 6;54(D1):D703-D714. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaf1307.

ABSTRACT

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global health challenges, often referred to as a 'silent pandemic.' Towards this, ARKbase is developed as an integrated, curated, value-added knowledgebase for AMR, with focus on WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens. ARKbase has three core modules namely-Database, Insight, and Comparative Analysis Module-each offering curated data, including data analysed with custom-built pipelines. The Database Module has curated reference genomes and pan genomes along with antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) profiles. The Insight Module has 14 sub-modules and offers deep annotations encompassing antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, structure annotation, host-pathogen interactions, biosynthetic gene clusters, known antibiotics, protein-protein interactions, drug targets, co-targets, drug-target interactions, machine learning models, and curated transcriptomic datasets for antibiotic exposure. The Comparative Analysis module offers a simple interface for comparing antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, and drug targets among different priority pathogens. The data included in ARKbase are quality-checked and curated as per CLSI standards for AST, EUCAST guidelines for genome sequence, and the FAIR data principles. ARKbase is the first comprehensive knowledgebase focusing on WHO priority pathogens and AWaRe classification, enabling a combined evidence approach towards a holistic understanding of AMR. Available at https://datascience.imtech.res.in/anshu/arkbase.

PMID:41428500 | PMC:PMC12807638 | DOI:10.1093/nar/gkaf1307