GELKEYS: A SOFTWARE APPLICATION FOR 2D GEL IMAGE STORAGE, MARKUP AND SHARING

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We have created a multi-user web based tool for storing 2D gels and associated MS data. For every uploaded image, spots can be labeled by clicking on a representation of the gel; for each labeled spot, multiple files can be stored. Saved images and files can be configured to restrict access to only certain groups or users, allowing for collaboration while not publicly releasing data. As the application is web-based, groups can share data wherever they can access the Internet. Images can be uploaded in a variety of formats (PNG, GIF, TIF, etc), and can also be downloaded with markup and without. GelKeys can best be considered as an alternative to printing out and marking up images of gels, while simultaneously saving and organizing data for presentation. The software was developed in Perl using ActiveState Komodo 3.5. Image manipulation is accomplished using the GD and ImageMagick Perl libraries. All images and data are stored in a MySQL 5.0 database, and presented on an Apache 2.0 web server. Test images and MS data files were obtained from ongoing projects at BUSM. Currently we have uploaded 18 images to the database, labeled 49 spots, and stored 28 MS data files. Support for basic analysis such as image blending has been added, and the software is being updated to include more features including automatic spot quantitation and MS data processing. The software provides an easy-to-use interface for storing and labeling spots on 2D gel images. As it is web-based, it can be accessed from wherever one has access to the Internet. Support for multiple users and a robust security model allow for sharing of data between individuals and groups.