A Visual Database to Better Understand Blood Metabolites
Metabolites and proteins manage most processes inside our bodies, and in addition inform the interplay between our cells and their environment. Understanding these compounds and the way they relate to one another extra, might assist researchers to judge the well being state of individuals and develop new customized remedies for numerous ailments.
Therefore, Japanese scientists have now developed a database of metabolites from blood samples collected from over 5,000 Japanese volunteers, making it freely available online as a valuable resource for researchers around the world.
The database called jMorp, contains information about 306 metabolites and 256 common proteins found in humans. It includes their frequency, concentration, and how often they appeared in males or females and at what age.
What makes this database unique is that, instead of just displaying raw data, it offers visitors a chance to see how the different metabolites correlate to each other graphically, paving the way for further studies to identify how these metabolites and proteins relate to each other.
“The information in jMorp is obtained from statistical data created by aggregating individual data,
” says bioinformatics scientist Shu Tadaka from Tohoku University. “An independent committee has carefully considered all ethical issues before allowing us access to this data.”Also, the researchers claim that this database that they’ve designed is superior to those already in existence as they took extra measures to exclude any low-quality samples and to ensure quality control throughout the processes of collecting, storing and analysing the plasma samples- thereby minimising measurement errors.
The database is an ongoing effort and the researchers produce updated annual versions as they collect and analyse more samples. They also plan to offer more insight about the metabolites and proteins they document by applying new methods of analysis.
