PSICQUIC

PSICQUIC provides standardized programmatic access to molecular interaction databases by implementing the Proteomics Standard Initiative Common Query Interface under HUPO-PSI to enable retrieval and integration of protein–protein and other molecular interaction binary evidences.

Key Features:

• Standardized web service and query language: PSICQUIC defines a common web service interface and query language to enable interoperable programmatic queries across interaction data resources.
• Concurrent multi-server querying: The interface supports executing a single query concurrently across multiple PSICQUIC servers to aggregate interaction evidences from disparate resources.
• Extensive data coverage: As of April 2013, PSICQUIC indexed over 150 million binary interaction evidences aggregated from 28 servers worldwide.
• Enhanced specification (Version 1.3): Version 1.3 updates the PSICQUIC specification to align with molecular interaction standards and augment web service capabilities.
• Reference implementation: A reference PSICQUIC server implementation provides a standardized server-side implementation to support consistent access to interaction data.

Scientific Applications:

• Network Biology: Construction and analysis of protein–protein interaction networks using aggregated binary interaction evidences.
• Drug Discovery: Mapping interactions between proteins and other molecules to support identification of potential drug targets.
• Pathway Analysis: Exploration of molecular pathways to investigate disease mechanisms and inform therapeutic interventions.

Methodology:

PSICQUIC uses a standardized web service query language to perform concurrent searches across multiple PSICQUIC servers and retrieve binary interaction evidences.