Automated layout of process description maps drawn in systems biology graphical notation = Systems biology graphical notation kullanılarak çizilen proses diyagramlarının otomatik yerleştirilmesi

Abstract

Evolving technology has increased the focus on genomics. The combination of today’s advanced studies with decades of molecular biology research yield in huge amount of pathway data. These models can be used to improve high-throughput data analysis by linking correlation to the causation, shedding light on many complex diseases. In order to prevent ambiguity and ensure regularity of the research, a need for using a standard notation has emerged. Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) is a visual language developed by a community of biochemists, modellers and computer scientists with the intention of enabling scientists to represent networks, including models of cellular processes, in a standard, unambiguous way. SBGN is formed of three languages: process, entity relationship and activity flow. This research is focused on its process diagram branch. Automated layout is commonly used to clearly visualize the information represented by graphs. Considering the fact that, biological pathways includes nested structures (e.g., nucleoplasms), we have made use of a force-directed automatic layout algorithm called Compound Spring Embedder (CoSE), which supports the compound graph structures. On top of this layout structure, we have developed a specialized layout algorithm called SBGN-PD layout. SBGN-PD layout enhancements mainly include properly tiling of complex members and disconnected molecules, placement of product and substrate edges on the opposite sides of a process node without disturbing the force-directed structure of the algorithm.