Genome Pathways Database: Functional Annotation of Biological Pathways with Genomic Data

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

Attributing function to genes, their regulatory elements and other functional DNA sequences will be the next step in genomics. This functional phase involves researchers from a variety of disciplines, including computer science and engineering. To facilitate the use of genomic informatin in function studies, pathways will be used to present the information. Pathways require detailed integration of diverse sources of information. Researchers will need transparent access that will be provided through this project. The project will integrate the data from a pathways rather than a sequence perspective, enabling scientists who do not do the sequencing to add functional information. New tools will enable users to visualize pathways data at mutiple levels of detail and abstraction. The use of XML will permit dissemination of query outputs for control of the data. Metabolic pathways, transcriptional regulation and protein synthesis pathways and signal transduction pathways will be the first incorporated in this web-based system. The research provides both for student support in both biology and computer science and a resource for the functional genomics community.