An Omics Analysis Search and Information System (OASIS) for Enabling Biological Discovery in the Old Order Amish

Abstract

The "Omics Analysis Search and Information System" (OASIS), developed at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, enables discovery by allowing researchers to mine results from genome wide association studies (GWAS). When interesting signals are found, the research can immediately ask follow-up questions and get answers in real-time. OASIS provides this unique capability with a web-based, scientist-friendly search system and a variety of real-time analysis tools (linkage disequilibrium calculations, conditional analysis, and direct variant comparison) plus on-demand visualizations (boxplots, histograms, LocusZoom & Haploview plots, and pedigree charts). Because OASIS uses a web-based user interface, an understanding of programming or the UNIX operating system is not required. The OASIS application has been used to enable discovery from whole-exome, whole-genome, metabolome, transcriptome and methylome association results for Old Order Amish studies at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.