A flexible framework for Web interfaces to image databases: supporting user-defined ontologies and links to external databases

Vocabularies to describe research findings are needed to effectively use scientific databases. As understanding of data evolves, scientists need tools for extending the vocabularies. A Web-based framework addresses these issues in the context of a microscopy image database. It allows definition of simple vocabularies and automatic generation of tools for annotating, displaying, and searching with this vocabulary. The resulting displays of annotated data can be linked to external data sources such as model organism databases. A case study involving publication of in-situ hybridization images cross-linked with the Mouse Gene Index is described, along with preliminary steps in extending the framework to handle fully structured ontologies