BEST

BEST analyzes spatio-temporal gene expression patterns in the human brain to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders.

Key Features:

• Visualization: Provides heatmaps, Venn diagrams, gene co-expression networks, and cluster-based Manhattan gene plots to represent expression quantification and inter-gene correlations.
• Integration: Integrates extensive human brain spatio-temporal expression data from multiple databases to support analyses across brain regions and developmental stages.
• Multi-Dimensionality: Performs multi-dimensional analysis by evaluating input genes as whole sets and as co-expression-derived clusters and reporting correlations between genetic data and expression profiles.

Scientific Applications:

• Translational genomics: Bridges disease-related genetic studies and mechanistic research to connect risk variants or gene lists with brain expression patterns.
• Gene and pathway identification: Aids identification of key genes and molecular systems implicated in psychiatric conditions through co-expression and cluster analyses.
• Spatio-temporal mapping: Supports investigation of brain regions and developmental stages that show differential expression relevant to mental disorders.

Methodology:

Integrates spatio-temporal expression datasets; generates heatmaps, Venn diagrams, gene co-expression networks, and cluster-based Manhattan plots; performs co-expression clustering and cluster enrichment analyses and computes correlations between genetic data and expression profiles.