Recently, a research team led by Prof. LEI Hongxing at Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a web-based network tool named iBIG (stands for integrative BIoloGy), which incorporates a variety of information on both gene interaction and regulation. The generated gene network can be annotated with various types of information and visualized directly online. The web-based visualization provides a convenient way to refine networks interactively.

Furthermore, a supplementary R package ArrayPro is provided to process microarray data, generate a list of important genes to be used as input for iBIG and construct networks based on functional gene sets. The networks at a functional level can also be visualized directly online using iBIG.

To demonstrate the usefulness of iBIG, Prof. LEI and his research team collected 54 microarrays on common human diseases. In addition to the gene networks based on physical and pathway interactions, networks at a functional level had also been constructed. Networks at the functional level in combination with gene networks may provide new insight into the mechanism of human diseases.

Prof. LEI indicated that” In summary, iBIG is a new tool for network construction and visualization. Distinct features include classification of interactions, web-based visualization and networks of functional gene sets.”

iBIG is freely available at http://lei.big.ac.cn/ibig. The supplementary R package ArrayPro and relevant examples can be download at http://lei.big.ac.cn/download/open_download_page.

 iBIG architecture (Image by LEI's group)

Contact:

Prof. LEI Hongxing

Email: leihx@big.ac.cn