Bridging data management platforms and visualization tools to enable ad-hoc and smart analytics in life sciences.

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Bioinformatics
• Data Science

Background:

• Core facilities require robust technologies to support diverse research needs and ensure data reproducibility.
• Managing large datasets and complex analyses in life sciences is challenging due to software heterogeneity and data size.
• The Functional Genomics Center Zurich (FGCZ) addresses these challenges by developing integrated data science solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the B-Fabric system as a solution for integrating data, computing, and visualization.
• To demonstrate how B-Fabric facilitates real-time data exploration and visual analysis for life sciences research.
• To showcase the system's application in mass spectrometry data visualization.

Main Methods:

• Development of the B-Fabric system, a comprehensive data science platform.
• Integration of diverse data sources, metadata, and computational infrastructures (clusters, clouds).
• Implementation of visualization applications for exploring large-scale scientific datasets.

Main Results:

• B-Fabric has provided over a decade of data science support to the life sciences community.
• The system enables the seamless connection of data, computing resources, and visualization tools.
• Successful application in visualizing mass spectrometry data, facilitating instant data exploration.

Conclusions:

• Integrated systems like B-Fabric are crucial for overcoming data exploration challenges in modern research.
• B-Fabric enhances research capabilities by providing unified access to data and analysis tools.
• The system supports efficient and reproducible scientific discovery through real-time data analysis and visualization.