A Visual Data-Flow Editor Capable of Integrating Data Analysis and Database Querying--CyberConnect Corporation, 131 Hunting Lodge Road, Storrs, CT 06268-1331; 860-429-2666
Mr. Ravi Nori, Principal Investigator
Mr. Karl Beckert, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-99ER82773
Amount: $749,995

In order to determine mapping sequence variations or polymorphism between homologous genomic regions, a genome scientist must be able to access genomic data from different sources and use many data analysis and visualization programs. To achieve this, software must be developed to automate tedious and repetitive data handling, database querying, and analysis tasks. This project will develop a data-flow editing environment in which genome scientists with minimal computer training can easily describe data analysis tasks. The software tool will allow the scientist to organize and coordinate individual data retrieval tasks from different data sources, and combine them with data analysis to derive answers to biologically significant questions. Phase I demonstrated the feasibility of a data-flow editing environment in which interactions between data access and data analysis can be freely described by genome scientists with minimal computer training. Phase II will convert the Phase I prototype into a robust, full-fledged system deployable in a distributed environment, and establish the feasibility of operating an Internet-based service with the proposed visual data-flow analysis tool. The tool will be developed as independent software that can be readily linked to existing analysis and visualization programs with little or no prior modifications.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: This software should be immediately usable by the molecular biology and pharmaceutical industries, both of which are becoming more computationally intensive. Since data-flow management problems are not unique to computational biology, the software should also be applicable to other data and computationally intensive areas, e.g., physics, chemistry, engineering, and finance.

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