Waveomics: bringing experimental data to online collaboration

Abstract

Systems biology offers an interdisciplinary approach to scientific research that typically involves the collaboration of teams of experimentalists and mathematical modellers. While the importance of data standards has been recognised in facilitating exchange of data between the parties, challenges still remain regarding the practicalities of disseminating experimental data.

The introduction of novel web-based tools aimed at promoting collaborative work has provided a platform upon which scientific applications can be built. The recently released Google Wave protocol provides a facility for real-time collaboration between teams of researchers.

This work introduces a customized Robot that automatically scans text in Google Waves for experimental data identifiers, extracts corresponding experimental data from remote resources associated with such identifiers, and appends charts showing this experimental data to the Wave