Project examples
Merging of several cell-line databases
The merging of diverse databases with many hundreds of cell lines used in medical research necessitated the review and verification of the information stored in them.
Project duration: 3 months
For a leading pharmaceutical company, we checked many hundreds of data records for correctness and supplemented missing information. Every data record characterized a cell line used in medical research. Verification of data was necessary in this case, as data records from several independent databases were aggregated, which led to content inconsistencies. We reviewed the correct designation of the cell line and corresponding synonyms, species and gender of the cells, tissue or organ of collected samples, and the age of the donor organism and, if necessary, the underlying disease. The substantial expertise of the biologists at GIMD was invaluable in this. In some cases, allocations proved to be unambiguous. In others, incorrectly allocated and much conflicting information on individual parameters had to be harmonized and given uniform descriptions according to the cell line in question. Processing was performed predominately as Internet research, within a time frame prescribed by the budgeting of the client. Clearly incorrect allocations were removed, and verified data was marked as such. In addition, unresolvable contradictions (e.g. contaminations of formerly established cell lines known from the literature) and possibilities of confusion (e.g. identical designations for cell lines of different species or cell lines which had been erroneously assigned to the wrong species over the course of research) were pointed out. After data synchronization and post-processing, the data records were submitted to the client in the digital format requested.
This project once again proves GIMD’s great flexibility in the processing (analysis, documentation, conversion) of data (records) from the most diverse fields.