Title | iTools: a framework for classification, categorization and integration of computational biology resources. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2008 |
Authors | Dinov, Ivo D., Rubin Daniel, Lorensen William, Dugan Jonathan, Ma Jeff, Murphy Shawn, Kirschner Beth, Bug William, Sherman Michael, Floratos Aris, Kennedy David, Jagadish H V., Schmidt Jeanette, Athey Brian, Califano Andrea, Musen Mark, Altman Russ, Kikinis Ron, Kohane Isaac, Delp Scott, D Parker Stott, and Toga Arthur W. |
Journal | PLoS One |
Volume | 3 |
Issue | 5 |
Pagination | e2265 |
Date Published | 2008 |
ISSN | 1932-6203 |
Keywords | Computational Biology, Databases, Factual, Internet, Systems Integration |
Abstract | The advancement of the computational biology field hinges on progress in three fundamental directions--the development of new computational algorithms, the availability of informatics resource management infrastructures and the capability of tools to interoperate and synergize. There is an explosion in algorithms and tools for computational biology, which makes it difficult for biologists to find, compare and integrate such resources. We describe a new infrastructure, iTools, for managing the query, traversal and comparison of diverse computational biology resources. Specifically, iTools stores information about three types of resources--data, software tools and web-services. The iTools design, implementation and resource meta-data content reflect the broad research, computational, applied and scientific expertise available at the seven National Centers for Biomedical Computing. iTools provides a system for classification, categorization and integration of different computational biology resources across space-and-time scales, biomedical problems, computational infrastructures and mathematical foundations. A large number of resources are already iTools-accessible to the community and this infrastructure is rapidly growing. iTools includes human and machine interfaces to its resource meta-data repository. Investigators or computer programs may utilize these interfaces to search, compare, expand, revise and mine meta-data descriptions of existent computational biology resources. We propose two ways to browse and display the iTools dynamic collection of resources. The first one is based on an ontology of computational biology resources, and the second one is derived from hyperbolic projections of manifolds or complex structures onto planar discs. iTools is an open source project both in terms of the source code development as well as its meta-data content. iTools employs a decentralized, portable, scalable and lightweight framework for long-term resource management. We demonstrate several applications of iTools as a framework for integrated bioinformatics. iTools and the complete details about its specifications, usage and interfaces are available at the iTools web page http://iTools.ccb.ucla.edu. |
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0002265 |
Alternate Journal | PLoS ONE |
PubMed ID | 18509477 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC2386255 |
Grant List | U54 GM072970 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States U54 HG004028 / HG / NHGRI NIH HHS / United States U54-CA121852 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States U54-DA021519 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States U54-EB005149 / EB / NIBIB NIH HHS / United States U54-GM072970 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States U54-HG004028 / HG / NHGRI NIH HHS / United States U54-LM008748 / LM / NLM NIH HHS / United States U54-RR021813 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States |