The missing graphical user interface for genomics

Schatz, M. C. (2010) The missing graphical user interface for genomics. Genome Biology, 11 (8). p. 128. ISSN 14656914 (ISSN)

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Abstract

The Galaxy package empowers regular users to perform rich DNA sequence analysis through a much-needed and user-friendly graphical web interface. See research article http://genomebiology.com/2010/11/8/R86 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: With the advent of affordable and high-throughput DNA sequencing, sequencing is becoming an essential component in nearly every genetics lab. These data are being generated to probe sequence variations, to understand transcribed, regulated or methylated DNA elements, and to explore a host of other biological features across the tree of life and across a range of environments and conditions. Given this deluge of data, novices and experts alike are facing the daunting challenge of trying to analyze the raw sequence data computationally. With so many tools available and so many assays to analyze, how can one be expected to stay current with the state of the art? How can one be expected to learn to use each tool and construct robust end-to-end analysis pipelines, all while ensuring that input formats, command-line options, sequence databases and program libraries are set correctly? Finally, once the analysis is complete, how does one ensure the results are reproducible and transparent for others to scrutinize and study?In an article published in Genome Biology, Jeremy Goecks, Anton Nekrutenko, James Taylor and the rest of the Galaxy Team (Goecks et al. 1) make a great advance towards resolving these critical questions with the latest update to their Galaxy Project. The ambitious goal of Galaxy is to empower regular users to carry out their own computational analysis without having to be an expert in computational biology or computer science. Galaxy adds a desperately needed graphical user interface to genomics research, making data analysis universally accessible in a web browser, and freeing users from the minutiae of archaic command-line parameters, data formats and scripting languages. Data inputs and computational steps are selected from dynamic graphical menus, and the results are displayed in intuitive plots and summaries that encourage interactive workflows and the exploration of hypotheses. The underlying data analysis tools can be almost any piece of software, written in any language, but all their complexity is neatly hidden inside of Galaxy, allowing users to focus on scientific rather than technical questions.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: algorithm article biology computer graphics computer interface DNA sequence genomics Internet methodology nucleic acid database Algorithms Computational Biology Databases, Nucleic Acid Sequence Analysis, DNA User-Computer Interface
Subjects: bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > DNA methylation
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > transcription
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > databases > database optimization
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > databases > database search and retrieval
bioinformatics > quantitative biology
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > annotation > sequence annotation
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > analysis and processing > Sequence Data Processing
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > Mapping and Rendering > Sequence Rendering
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > transgenic animal
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Schatz lab
Depositing User: CSHL Librarian
Date: 2010
Date Deposited: 19 Oct 2011 17:31
Last Modified: 15 Mar 2013 19:08
PMCID: PMC2945776
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/15520

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