Biodash: A Semantic Web Dashboard for Drug Development

A researcher's current scientific understanding is assembled from multiple sources of facts and knowledge, along with beliefs and hypotheses of their interpretations. A comprehensive and structured aggregation of all the relevant components is to-date not possible using standard database technologies, nor is it obvious how to include beliefs, such as models and hypotheses into such a bundle. When such information is required as the basis for important decision-making (e.g., in drug discovery), scientists often resort to using commercial presentation applications. This is sub-optimal for the effective use of knowledge, and alternatives that support the inclusion of meaning are urgently needed. This paper describes a prototype Semantic Web application, BioDash, which attempts to aggregate heterogeneous yet related facts and statements (using an RDF model) into an intuitive, visually descriptive and interactive display.