Visual ?
The term Visual refers to the “know-how” of GN7-CNB Node in the area of multidimensional images that is highlighted by the most recent works. These works has been focused in the development of truly new image processing methods (Scheres SH et al, 2007 and 2008), in the integration of three-dimensional volume data with a wide variety of data sources by expanding DAS technology (Macias JR et al, 2008) and in current “volumetric data production” (Núñez-Ramírez R et al, 2007). Additionally, this broad scientific and technical expertise is coupled with our experience in the coordination of large scale (EU) projects in the area of multidimensional images since late nineties.
Omics ?
What place holds multidimensional image information in our post-genomic world? The answer is quite simple because it is chiefly, through images and volumes how we access nowadays to the spatial (and temporal)-variant information related to the distribution of expressed genes and macromolecular nanomachines from cells to whole organisms, thus being the most obvious manner of obtaining phenotypical information. Visual Omics encloses Visual Genomics and Visual Proteomics.
Visual Genomics is based on a project that has been working for more than a decade with very fruitful results: the creation of “a digital atlas of mouse development and database to spatially map data such as in situ gene expression” (EMAGE: Christiansen JH et al, 2006). Thus, EMAP offers the possibility to link gene expression data with phenotypical information (organized in a clear ontology of anatomy terms) during mouse embryo development.
Visual Proteomics refers to the ability to provide spatial information, on the location of a number of macromolecular nanomachines inside simple model organisms, with the help of different “tomographic techniques”. These works are having a clear impact in many approaches to (cell-centered) System Biology, since spatial (and temporal) information is essential to develop any model of even the simplest of the cells. The source of this new vision comes from Prof. Baumeister (Nickell et al., 2006).
Tools
Two tools have been developed in the context of the Visual Omics Project. The anatomical Gene Expression Mapping Platform (aGEM) provides interesting statistical analysis on spatio-temporal gene expression data from model organisms. OWLViewer is a web application that allows the user to navigate through ontologies in a simple and intuitive manner.