geWorkbench (genomics Workbench) is a Java-based open-source platform for integrated genomics. Using a component architecture it allows individually developed plug-ins to be configured into complex bioinformatic applications.
At present there are more than 70 available plug-ins supporting the visualization and analysis of gene expression and sequence data.
geWorkbench is the Bioinformatics platform of MAGNet, the National Center for the Multi-scale Analysis of Genomic and Cellular Networks, one of the 8 National Centers for Biomedical Computing.
Features include:
- Computational analysis tools such as t-test, hierarchical clustering, self-organizing maps, regulatory network reconstruction, BLAST searches, pattern-motif discovery, protein structure prediction, structure-based protein annotation, etc.
- Visualization of gene expression (heatmaps, volcano plot), molecular interaction networks (through Cytoscape), protein sequence and protein structure data (e.g., MarkUs).
- Integration of gene and pathway annotation information from curated sources as well as through Gene Ontology enrichment analysis.
- Component integration through platform management of inputs and outputs. Among data that can be shared between components are expression datasets, interaction networks, sample and marker (gene) sets and sequences.
- Dataset history tracking – complete record of data sets used and input settings.
- Integration with 3rd party tools such as Genepattern, Cytoscape, and Genomespace.
- Provides an environment which supports moving from one data type to another in a seamless fashion, e.g. from gene expression to sequences to patterns.
- Provides access to a variety of external data sources, including:
- Microarray gene expression repositories (caArray).
- BLAST (NCBI).
- Gene annotation pages (via bioDBNet).
- Protein and DNA sequence retrieval (UC Santa Cruz and EBI).
- Pathway diagrams (BioCarta).
- Provides a gateway to several computational services currently hosted on Columbia servers and clusters, including:
-
- Pattern Discovery.
- Pudge – protein structure modeling.
- SkyBase – database of molecular models.
-
Specific types of data supported include:
- Microarray Gene Expression:
- GEO Soft: Series, Series Matrix, and Annotated Matrix (GDS).
- MAGE-TAB data matrix.
- Affymetrix GCOS/MAS5.
- Matrix format (geWorkbench).
- Tab-delimited (e.g. RMAExpress).
- GenePix.
- Microarray Gene Expression Annotation file support:
- Affymetrix 3′ Expression.
- Affymetrix WT Gene/Exon ST (transcript-level) including Gene Array 1.0/2.0 ST and Exon 1.0 ST.
- DNA and Protein Sequences:
- FASTA.
- Pathways:
- BioCarta.
- Molecular structure – prediction, annotation and display.
- Sequence Patterns:
- Regular Expressions.
- Gene Ontology.
- Regulatory Networks.
Website: wiki.c2b2.columbia.edu/workbench
Support: Documentation, QuickStart
Developer: Columbia University, First Genetic Trust National Cancer Institute
License: BSD-like
geWorkbench is written in Java. Learn Java with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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