Editing BioMicro:NextSEEK (section)

== SEEK ==
The large diversity of data and the need to link them are major challenges in the field of systems biology; SEEK was built to address these issues. SEEK is a data management system that stores a wide range of biological metadata, and is built to handle all sorts of sample types, versus other repositories that can only handle one specific type of data. 

[[File:Seekdiagram.png|500px]]

SEEK stores experiments, which are then connected to their respective protocol and metadata. Since all data in an experiment is inherently linked, SEEKs approach storing data makes it easy to visualize the connections between all of the data. Experimental assays that describe experimental procedures are connected to samples and models in the system. The figure below shows all of the IMPAcTB assay connections between the respective sample types. Data is uploaded to SEEK in excel sheets, where it is then linked to its respective protocol, which is stored as a document. The SEEK system is built to support both individual and groups of scientists, due to its data sharing and management features.

[[File:ImpactAssays.png|700px]]

For those interested in learning more about SEEK, [https://bmcsystbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12918-015-0174-y this paper] is a good starting point.