title: Generation of a foveomacular transcriptome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Organizing molecular biologic data is a growing challenge since the rate of data accumulation is steadily increasing. Information relevant to a particular biologic query can be difficult to extract from the comprehensive databases currently available. We present a data collection and organization model designed to ameliorate these problems and applied it to generate an expressed sequence tag (EST)-based foveomacular transcriptome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using Perl, MySQL, EST libraries, screening, and human foveomacular gene expression as a model system, we generated a foveomacular transcriptome database enriched for molecularly relevant data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using foveomacula as a gene expression model tissue, we identified and organized 6,056 genes expressed in that tissue. Of those identified genes, 3,480 had not been previously described as expressed in the foveomacula. Internal experimental controls as well as comparison of our data set to published data sets suggest we do not yet have a complete description of the foveomacula transcriptome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present an organizational method designed to amplify the utility of data pertinent to a specific research interest. Our method is generic enough to be applicable to a variety of conditions yet focused enough to allow for specialized study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta GA.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ziesel
authors.affiliation: Department of Opthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore MD.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta GA.
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D057225:Data Mining; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics*