title: A flexible integration and visualisation system for biomarker discovery.
abstract: Biological data have accumulated at an unprecedented pace as a result of improvements in molecular technologies. However, the translation of data into information, and subsequently into knowledge, requires the intricate interplay of data access, visualisation and interpretation. Biological data are complex and are organised either hierarchically or non-hierarchically. For non-hierarchically organised data, it is difficult to view relationships among biological facts. In addition, it is difficult to make changes in underlying data storage without affecting the visualisation interface. Here, we demonstrate a platform where non-hierarchically organised data can be visualised through the application of a customised hierarchy incorporating medical subject headings (MeSH) classifications. This platform gives users flexibility in updating and manipulation. It can also facilitate fresh scientific insight by highlighting biological impacts across different hierarchical branches. An example of the integration of biomarker information from the curated Proteome database using MeSH and the StarTree visualisation tool is presented.
authors.affiliation: Knowledge Management, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaylord
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calley
authors.forename: Huahong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiang
authors.forename: Eric W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Birong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D015415:Biomarkers; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003628:Database Management Systems; D030562:Databases, Protein; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D046650:Medical Subject Headings; D011506:Proteins / Q000145:classification*; D012984:Software; D018511:Systems Integration; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014584:User-Computer Interface
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011506:Proteins