Semantic Biosystems

Our work in Semantic Biosystems works on the basis that well-structured, accessible and integrated information is crucial for the future. Our own cross-disciplinary challenge is how to build computer systems that can support life science researchers as they try to navigate and manipulate a vast amount of available information, and then interpret it and use it. This is especially relevant for genomics and systems biology research. Our aim as part of the Biosystems Data Analysis group is to enhance statistical analysis (and interpretation) by ensuring it takes as much of the biological context of the data into account as possible. BioExpert (project leader Andrew Gibson) is an example of an e-bioscience project that applies cutting edge Semantic Web standards in a framework that allows the construction of high quality domain-specific knowledge bases. In a first implementation of the framework, we have created the Peroxisome Knowledge Base. This integrates a set of 'concept maps' - visual representations of a limited set of connected facts in a specific context - that have been specified by leading experts in the field of peroxisomal biochemistry and related diseases. We have started work on several other implementations that integrate knowledge of other biological systems. Serge Barth implements part of the software infrastructure for BioExpert.