Databases for systems biology

Abstract

This chapter presents the concept of an integrative database for systems biology that functions as a data warehouse system and supports all three phases of a systems biology project. Systems biology attempts to integrate information about the responses of all elements in a biological system to genetic or environmental perturbations. The ultimate goal of researchers in this interdisciplinary field is to solve biological problems at the level of an entire system. Wet-lab technologies are abundant and require expert knowledge to conduct the experiments, and in some cases to understand and interpret the results. Currently, each of multitudes of databases covers a specific area of expertise. The majority of these are databases containing well-annotated descriptions of a class of biologically important elements, such as genes, proteins, classes, or active sites in proteins or entire genomes. Some databases store annotated experimental data from a particular commonly used technical method. One method for examining gene expression at the level of an entire system is analysis using oligonucleotide or cDNA microarrays. © 2006 Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..