Poster from the American Medical Informatics Association Translational Bioinformatics Summit (AMIA TBI), 2011

1. Biositemaps: A Framework for Biomedical Resource Discovery
Patricia L. Whetzel, PhD1, Charles D. Borromeo2, Harpreet Singh, MS2, Jessica D. Tenenbaum, PhD3, Nancy B. Whelan2, Brian Athey, PhD4, Michael J. Becich, MD,
PhD2, Mark A. Musen, MD, PhD1 and the Biositemaps Consortium
1Stanford University, Stanford, CA; 2University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 3Duke University, Durham, NC, 4University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Abstract
Biositemaps is a mechanism for researchers to openly broadcast and retrieve metadata
about biomedical resources. The architecture includes the Information Model and
Biomedical Resource Ontology. Biositemaps files are created with the Biositemaps Editor
and searched using the Resource Discovery System. To date, the system includes over
1,400 resources from 6 NIH-funded research programs. Future use by other groups will
lead to more effective resource discovery and sharing across NIH extra- and intramural
program.
http://biositemaps.ncbcs.org/rds/index.html
Funding Provided by
Clinical and Translational Science Awards
• Pittsburgh, 3UL1RR024153-03S1
• Duke, 5UL1RR024128-03S1
National Center for Biomedical Computing
• National Center for Integrative Biomedical Informatics, 3U54DA021519-04S1
• National Center for Biomedical Ontology, 3U54HG004028-04S1
Specific aims
1) Creating an inventory of software, material, funding, service, training, and people
resources
2) Developing an informatics infrastructure
3) Publishing the resource inventory to enable a federated, web-accessible catalog of
resources that enable clinical and translational research
Future Goals
1) Accelerated development of Biositemaps across NCBCs, CTSAs and other applicable
NIH-funded organizations
2) Promotion and outreach of this information framework, using web and print-based
media, web-based seminars and presentations, and participation in national meetings
3) Continued harmonization of BRO and NIFSTD for common resource descriptors
4) Further alignment of the Biositemaps Information model with eagle-i information
model
Biomedical Resource Ontology
Biositemaps Editor
Biositemaps
• Machine-readable resource associated with a website
• Resources are described in terms of an information model
• Supported by the Biomedical Resource Ontology
• Can be discovered by search engines such as Google, obviating the need for
centralized management
Notable Accomplishments
1) A standards-based informatics infrastructure that includes development of a
biomedical resource inventory
2) Development of the Biomedical Resource Ontology (BRO)
3) Harmonizing BRO and the Neuroscience Information Framework Standard ontology
(NIFSTD)
4) Mapping the Biositemaps Information Model with the eagle-i Information Model
www.ctsaweb.org www.ncbcs.org
Who Is Involved?
Biositemaps Information Model
Required Properties
• Resource Name
• Organization
• Research Program
• Description
• Resource Type
• URL
• Contact Person
• Biositemap Author
Additional Properties
• Related Areas of Research
• Related Activities
• Publication Identifier
Ontology and Information Model drive the Biositemaps Editor
Resource Statistics
• Over 1,400 resources collected
• Includes resources from a variety of research programs:
- CTSAs – 840
- NITRIC – 253
- NCBCs – 229
- Cardiovascular Research Grid – 11
- System Biology institutes – 64
• Viewed by > 1,600 visitors from the US, Spain, Canada, Germany, China, UK, France,
Italy, India