Networked Information Integration for Protein Identification

Abstract

In order to separate and identify proteins within one cell, the proteomics researcher needs to go through a succession of experimental processes: 2D gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometer analysis, and online protein matching. Various tools are utilized during each phase for the user to produce useful data. However, the data generated by different tools are put in separate files of different formats. So it is hard for the researcher to manage the data. In this paper we present an integrated information system developed for such a protein identification process. The system integrates all the data produced in the 2D gel electrophoresis experiment, including gel images, XML data about the protein spots on the images, peak data of protein fragments, and online matching settings and results. The architecture and development of this network-based system are introduced, also, practical results are shown and discussed. With this online database management system, researchers can record and share their experimental results through the Internet easily. This will facilitate proteomics research.