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DAVID (the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery) is a free web resource that helps researchers interpret the biological meaning of large gene lists. This page is for people who have a list of genes from an experiment and need to know what DAVID does, who runs it, where to start and what the alternatives are. Facts below come from the DAVID site and its 2022 Nucleic Acids Research paper, read 2026-11-07.
What DAVID is
DAVID is a set of functional annotation tools for understanding the biology behind long lists of genes, such as differentially expressed genes from an RNA-seq experiment. According to the DAVID site, it is free to use, including for commercial users, and the analysis workspace does not require a login. It is part of the wider field described in what bioinformatics is. Note that “David” alone has many meanings; this page covers the NIH-branded gene annotation resource at davidbioinformatics.nih.gov.
Who runs it and what it covers
The site is operated by the Laboratory of Human Retrovirology and Immunoinformatics (LHRI) at the Frederick National Laboratory and carries HHS/NIH branding. On 2026-11-07 the homepage listed the DAVID Knowledgebase version 2026_2, released October 6, 2026, and stated that DAVID 6.8 has been retired.
The 2021 update paper (Sherman et al., Nucleic Acids Research 2022;50(W1):W216-W221, doi:10.1093/nar/gkac194) reports that:
- the gene system was rebuilt, with taxonomy coverage growing from 17,399 to 55,464 (the authors’ figures);
- new annotation sources were added: PubChem small molecule-gene, DrugBank drug-gene, Human Protein Atlas tissue expression, DisGeNET disease, WikiPathways and PathBank pathways;
- the knowledgebase covers Entrez, Ensembl and UniProt identifiers, and a species parameter was added for uploads of official gene symbols to avoid cross-species ambiguity.
Tools on the DAVID site
The homepage lists these tools:
| Tool (site name) | Purpose as described by DAVID |
|---|---|
| Gene Search | Find genes in the knowledgebase |
| Gene List Report | Report on the genes in an uploaded list |
| Functional Annotation | Annotation of a list, with clustering, chart and table views |
| Gene Functional Classification | Group related genes by function |
| Gene ID Conversion | Convert between identifier types |
| Ortholog Tool | Map genes across species |
The 2021 paper describes the annotation outputs as clustering, chart and table views, which correspond to the views now grouped under Functional Annotation on the site.
How to start
- Open the DAVID homepage (davidbioinformatics.nih.gov).
- Select Start Analysis to open the analysis workspace; no sign-in is needed.
- Use the Quick Start Tutorial, or the full Tutorial PDF, linked from the homepage for the upload and analysis screens.
- Check which knowledgebase version the site lists and note it for your methods section.
How to cite DAVID
DAVID has a “Citing DAVID” page and a “DAVID Publications” page listing the method papers. The site asks that you cite DAVID in any publication using methods inspired by it. Use the wording given on the Citing DAVID page, and record the knowledgebase version (for example v2026_2) because annotation content changes between releases. Recording the version is an editorial recommendation, not a DAVID requirement.
Strengths and limits
- Strengths: free, no login, several identifier types accepted, broad annotation sources including pathway, tissue, disease and drug resources (per the 2021 paper), and an official tutorial.
- Limits: it is a web resource, so results depend on the knowledgebase version in use; and DAVID 6.8 results cited in older papers cannot be reproduced on a retired version. The 2021 paper states no list-size limit, so check the current tutorial for any practical limits.
Alternatives
| Resource | What it is | CASRAI guide |
|---|---|---|
| Enrichr | Web-based gene set enrichment tool | Enrichr |
| g:Profiler | Web server for functional enrichment | g:Profiler |
| clusterProfiler | R package for enrichment analysis | clusterProfiler |
| GSEA | Gene set enrichment analysis method and software | GSEA |
| MSigDB | Collection of annotated gene sets | MSigDB |
FAQ
What does DAVID stand for?
Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery.
Is DAVID free?
Yes. The DAVID site states it is free, including for commercial users, with no login required for the workspace (read 2026-11-07).
Who maintains DAVID?
The Laboratory of Human Retrovirology and Immunoinformatics at the Frederick National Laboratory.
Is DAVID 6.8 still available?
No. The site lists DAVID 6.8 as retired; the current knowledgebase listed on 2026-11-07 was v2026_2.
Sources
- DAVID Bioinformatics Resources, davidbioinformatics.nih.gov, read 2026-11-07.
- Sherman BT, Hao M, Qiu J, et al. DAVID: a web server for functional enrichment analysis and functional annotation of gene lists (2021 update). Nucleic Acids Res 2022;50(W1):W216-W221. PMC9252805, read 2026-11-07.
