DOE Human Genome Program Contractor-Grantee Workshop VIII
February 27-March 2, 2000  Santa Fe, NM

79. BCM Search Launcher - Providing Distributed, Enhanced Sequence Analysis

M. P. McLeod, Z. Yang, and K. C. Worley

Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030

mmcleod@bcm.tmc.edu

We provide web access to a variety of enhanced sequence analysis search tools via the BCM Search Launcher. The BCM Search Launcher is an enhanced, integrated, and easy-to-use interface that organizes sequence analysis servers on the WWW by function, and provides a single point of entry for related searches. This organization makes it easier for individual researchers to access a wide variety of sequence analysis tools. The Search Launcher extends the functionality of other web-based services by adding hypertext links to additional information that can be extremely helpful when analyzing database search results.

The BCM Search Launcher Batch Client provides access to all of the searches available from the Search Launcher web pages in a convenient interface. The Batch Client application automatically 1) reads sequences from one or more input files, 2) runs a specified search in the background for each sequence, and 3) stores each of the search output files as individual documents directly on a user's system. The HTML formatted result files can be browsed at any later date, or retrieved sequences can be used directly in further sequence analysis. For users who wish to perform a particular search on a number of sequences at a time, the batch client provides complete access to the Search Launcher with the convenience of batch submission and background operation, greatly simplifying and expediting the search process.

BEAUTY, our Blast Enhanced Alignment Utility makes it much easier to identify weak, but functionally significant matches in BLAST protein database searches. BEAUTY is available for DNA queries (BEAUTY-X) and for gapped alignment searches. Up-to-date versions of the Annotated Domains database present annotation information. The latest version of this database includes domain information from DOMO and Prodom in addition to BLOCKS, PRINTS, Pfam, Entrez sequence records, and Prosite.

Recent enhancements to the BCM Search Launcher include the addition of searches for human genomic sequences, additional domain information with BEAUTY, and an updated help system designed to assist researchers with little or no experience in computational biology.

Our collaboration with the Genome Annotation Consortium provides BEAUTY search results for all of the predicted protein sequences found in the human genomic sequences produced by the large scale sequencing centers.

Support provided by the DOE (DE-FG03-95ER62097/A000).