The NamesforLife Semantic Index of Phenotypic and Genotypic Data

Abstract

Phase I project goals: Predictive models depend on high quality input data. But not all data are of similar quality nor are all of the data amenable to computational analysis without extensive cleaning, interpretation and normalization. Key among those needed to make the projects such as the DOE Knowledgebase (Kbase) operational are phenotypic data, which are more complex than sequence data, occur in a wide variety of forms, use complex and non-uniform descriptors and are scattered about the literature and specialized databases. Incorporating these data into the Kbase requires expertise in harvesting, modeling and interpreting these data. The NamesforLife Semantic Index of Phenotypic and Genotypic Data seeks to address this problem by taking the first steps toward building an ontology of bacterial and archaeal based on the taxonomic literature through the development of a draft vocabulary of phenotypic features.

New approaches in developing medicinal herbs databases

“…the DOI system. NamesforLife ( 40 ), a private company, set up a system to apply DOIs to organisms. The potential application of these systems in integrating information about medicinal herbs is expected.…”