GnomeView: A Color Graphics Interface 

 to the Human Genome 



Richard J. Douthart, Victor B. Lortz, and David A. Thumian 



Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Life Sciences Center. Richland. WA 99332 



(509)375-2653 



Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory is developing an interactive, graphical computer 

 interface to information and data being generated by the human genome project. Color 

 graphic representations of genetic objects and maps provide the user with a sense of 

 topology and reveal patterns that are otherwise difficult to detect. The GnomeView 

 software allows a user to look at the entire human karyotype and manipulate graphical 

 representations of genetic and physical maps and sequences. GnomeView supports the 

 creation and display of maps, which are rendered in graphics on a workstation using the 

 X Window System. The user can zoom, scroll, and select graphical objects. Descriptive 

 information is available by selecting particular objects or groups of objects. Textual 

 references may also be followed using GnomeView's hypertext features. GnomeView 

 includes a network-model database that permits natural and efficient representation of 

 the hierarchies in genomic information. Landmarks, features, and blocks of sequence 

 information are stored as objects in the database. Compound objects and maps are 

 created by reference to other objects. Specific attention has been paid to designing 

 database search algorithms and user interface techniques that scale well to high data 

 volumes. We expect that eventually the GnomeView software will contribute 

 substantially to obtaining closure of the various types of maps currently being 

 generated. For instance, a restriction enzyme map can be updated from analysis of 

 sequence information that sets exactly the position of cut sites. Different maps covering 

 the same region can be compared visually and analytically for inconsistencies. 



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