BioCarian

BioCarian enables exploratory searches across heterogeneous biological databases by providing a SPARQL-based faceted search engine that queries RDF (Resource Description Format)-converted tabular data and supports federated queries across SPARQL endpoints.

Key Features:

• SPARQL Interface: Executes SPARQL queries over RDF (Resource Description Format) databases to support complex query formulation.
• Faceted Search System: Provides a faceted search system that enables construction of intricate queries and filtering by facet values.
• Ranking of Facet Values: Ranks facet values according to multiple criteria to prioritize results.
• Visual Relevance Indicators: Associates visual indicators with facet values to convey their relevance.
• Key-Facet Presentation: Presents key facet values when large numbers of options are available to highlight important selections.
• RDF Conversion: Converts tabular databases into RDF (Resource Description Format) to enable semantic querying.
• Federated Searches: Executes federated SPARQL queries across multiple databases and SPARQL endpoints.

Scientific Applications:

• Exploratory search across heterogeneous databases: Enables integrative querying and exploration of diverse biological data sources represented as RDF.
• Viral integration data analysis: Has been applied to previously published viral integration datasets to reproduce and extract conclusions from original publications.

Methodology:

Execution of SPARQL queries over RDF (Resource Description Format) data; conversion of tabular databases into RDF; ranking of facet values, visual relevance indication, presentation of key facet values; federated SPARQL querying across SPARQL endpoints.