http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
SMC-RNA BioVis Data
Visualization DREAM Challenge
http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
What is a DREAM Challenge?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
• http://dreamchallenges.org
• DREAM Challenges pose fundamental questions about systems
biology and translational medicine.
• Vision: Allowing individuals and groups to collaborate openly so
that the “wisdom of the crowd” provides the greatest impact on
science and human health.
• DREAM was launched in 2006 by Gustavo Stolovitzky (IBM) in
collaboration with Andrea Califano (Columbia University). Sage
Bionetworks has been providing institutional support since 2013.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
What is the SMC-RNA
DREAM Challenge?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
• https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn2813589/wiki/
401435
• The challenge is to computationally predict gene/transcript
fusions and transcript isoforms based on RNA-seq data.
• This will yield many new tools and predictions for fusions
and transcript isoforms.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
What are isoforms and fusions?
Why are they important?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Alternative
Splicing
Liu S, Cheng C. Alternative RNA splicing and cancer. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews RNA. 2013,4(5),547-566.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Isoforms in
Cancer
Liu S, Cheng C. Alternative RNA splicing and cancer. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews RNA. 2013,4(5),547-566.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Isoforms in
Cancer
Liu S, Cheng C. Alternative RNA splicing and cancer. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews RNA. 2013,4(5),547-566.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Gene +
Transcript
Fusions
Mertens, F., et al. (2015). The emerging complexity of gene fusions in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 15(6), 371-381.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Fusions in
Cancer
Mertens, F., et al. (2015). The emerging complexity of gene fusions in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 15(6), 371-381.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Fusions in
Cancer
Mertens, F., et al. (2015). The emerging complexity of gene fusions in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 15(6), 371-381.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Why a visualization
challenge?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Fusions in
Cancer
Mertens, F., et al. (2015). The emerging complexity of gene fusions in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 15(6), 371-381.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Fusions in
Cancer
Mertens, F., et al. (2015). The emerging complexity of gene fusions in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 15(6), 371-381.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
What are we looking for?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
• What exactly we are looking for will be announced later this
summer.
• We won’t have any preconceived notion about what we will
accept as solutions.
• It will be important that the solution can be used to
enhance our understanding of biology.
• It needs to be usable by a wide range of investigators.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
What is the time line?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
• Anticipated launch in Summer 2016.
• Submissions in Fall/Winter 2016.
• The visualization challenge will be synchronized with the
SMC-RNA challenge (https://www.synapse.org/#!
Synapse:syn2813589/wiki/401435)
• Unlike past data contests, this challenge is decoupled from
the BioVis meetings.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
What are the incentives?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
What we aim for (but no promises):
• All participants will be invited as consortium co-authors on
Challenge marker papers
• Winners will receive speaking invitations at the next DREAM
conference or a future BioVis meeting
• New methods will be considered for co-publication with the
Challenge marker papers by our publishing partner
• Other rewards will be announced as they are determined.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Where to get more
information and how to
receive updates?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
1. Go to www.biovis.net/2016/dream.
2. Follow link to Synapse Wiki.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
3. Scroll down.
4. Click link to “Join” to pre-register.

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Who is organizing this?

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
BioVis Team
• Raghu Machiraju, The Ohio State University, USA
• Cagatay Turkay, City University London, UK
• Angela Brooks, University of California Santa Cruz, USA
• Nils Gehlenborg, Harvard Medical School, USA
Advisors and Support
• Paul Boutros, OICR, Canada (SMC-RNA Challenge Leader)
• Thea Norman, Sage Bionetworks, USA (DREAM Challenge Director)

http://www.biovis.net/2016/dream
Do you have questions?