e-Science - The Changing Landscape Demonstrations
Schedule
Time
Station 1
Station 2
13:30
BeSC/BBC
LaQUAT
13:50
BeSC/BBC
14:10
Station 4
Station 5
Station 6
Station 7
VERA
LaQUAT
HPC
Portals
Portals
e-Science
Central
e-Science
Central
NACTeM
HPC
Station 3
Virtual
Vellum
Virtual
Vellum
Taverna
Gene
Therapy
Gene
Therapy
VERA
NACTeM
Taverna
e-Science Central
Paul Watson
e-Science Central is an integrated environment for storing, analysing and sharing scientific data. Users only need a
web browser to access the system. They can upload their data and analysis services into e-science central and
share them with colleagues of their choosing through a social networking framework. The analysis services run in a
scalable science cloud, and can be combined using workflow - a browser-based workflow editor is provided to
users.
The National Centre for Text Mining
John McNaught
NaCTeM is the first publicly-funded text mining centre in the world. We provide text mining services in response to
the requirements of the UK academic community. NaCTeM is operated by the University of Manchester with close
collaboration with the University of Tokyo. On our website, you can find pointers to sources of information about
text mining such as links to
* text mining services provided by NaCTeM
* software tools, both those developed by the NaCTeM team and by other text mining groups
* seminars, general events, conferences and workshops
* tutorials and demonstrations
* text mining publications
Text mining offers a solution to the challenge of 'data deluge', information overload and information overlook.
e-Tools for e-Manuscripts
Peter Ainsworth
The demonstration will showcase e-Science tools developed to make medieval and other manuscript material
readily available to both the scholar and the general public. This has been achieved through projects called
VIRTUAL VELLUM, KIOSQUE and PEGASUS which will feature during our demonstration for 'Changing
Landscapes'. PEGASUS facilitates the online distribution and presentation of scholarly / exhibition content using
VIRTUAL VELLUM (which delivers the high-resolution images).
Virtual Environments for Research in Archaeology
Mark Baker
The VERA project aims to produce a fully-fledged virtual research environment for the archaeological community. It
will address user needs, enhancing the means of efficiently documenting archaeological excavation and its
associated finds, and create a suitable Web portal that provides enhanced tools for the user community. VERA
aims to develop utilities that help encapsulate the working practices of current research archaeologists unfamiliar
with virtual research environments. The project builds on the successful JISC VRE 1 project, Silchester 'Town Life':
a research and training excavation of one part of the large Roman town at Silchester. The Silchester excavation
aims to trace the site's development from its origins before the Roman Conquest to its abandonment in the fifth
century A.D. The rich and complex finds from the excavation provide the material to populate the research
environment, and a working site to investigate the use of advanced Information Technology in an archaeological
context.
Building Portals for Computational Chemistry
Jos Koetsier & Jano van Hemert
Rapid is a unique way of quickly designing and delivering user interfaces via a web portal to applications that
require specific or many computing resources. We will demonstrate how this has been used as part of the
ENGAGE initiative in the context of computational chemistry where students need to learn how to use a domainPage 1 of 2
specific application. This application, Gaussian 03, can compute the 3D structural layout of molecules. Using the
portal created with Rapid, the chemistry department can now easily and cost-effectively maintain an interactive
learning environment where the next-generation chemists learn how computational science will aid them to the
design new molecules.
Gene Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis
Rob Kitchen
A pair of software tools has been developed with the aim of improving the design, management, and analysis of
quantitative gene-expression experiments in molecular biology.
The first tool, PowerNest, was created in collaboration with researchers in Munich, Prague, and Gothenburg to
optimise the design of qPCR assays by analysing technical error introduced at various stages of sample
preparation. PowerNest provides an intuitive an powerful UI and is capable of calculating a cost-optimal samplingplan, delivering an experiment design that will minimise processing error and maximise the statistical resolution of
the experiment.
The second tool, GeneE, provides a framework for co-ordinating an entire gene-expression workflow, from
sample quality-control to microarray analysis and qPCR validation. Designed to be mobile, the software can be run
directly from a USB device, providing researchers access to their data and results when and wherever they need it.
The database on the USB device is synchronised with a secure server for data backup, advanced analysis, and
rapid dissemination amongst collaborating researchers.
e-Science Technology Powering the On-demand Digital Media Economy
Terry Harmer & Peter Wright
Belfast e-Science (BeSC) has been working with the BBC since 2002 investigating the use of e-science technology
in the broadcasting domain. In that time this domain has been transformed from one that is a specialist technology
to one that is mainstream technology. Access to digital media is increasingly pervasive, user driven and available
within the home and on-the-move and embedded in consumer. BeSC and the BBC Research & Innovation are
currently involved in a consumer field pilot of an on-demand infrastructure that is based on e-science technology.
This infrastructure is service centric and hosted on owned and on demand utility infrastructure. The infrastructure
enables access to all current BBC content, BBC archive content, live feeds of BBC channels and federates with
other digital content providers. In the demo we will show the consumer view of the infrastructure--an iPlayer like
interface--and we illustrate this live and in-the-wild infrastructure in managing content using services hosted in 3rd
party data centres, within the BBC and in BeSC.
The Changing Aspects of HPC
Adrian Jackson
We will demonstrate two pieces of work that show how HPC services are changing to reflect the current
technological landscape of "cheap" HPC machines. The first is from FireGrid and shows realtime scheduling on a
national HPC service. The second is a video of computational steering on a HPC service. Finally we will also so a
video for some work from BEinGRID one Grid computation for the medical industry that we have been involved in.
Linking and QUerying ancient Texts
Ally Hume, Mark Hedges & Mike Jackson
LaQUaT has developed a demonstration of a software solution to link up diverse data resources for investigating,
integrating and publishing inscriptions and papyri from the antique Greek and Roman world. The project used the
OGSA-DAI UK e-Science product for providing integrated access to legacy data resources (databases and XML) in
the humanities, specifically using this material from the classics. LaQUaT is a collaboration between the OGSA-DAI
team at the University of Edinburgh, the Centre for e-Research at King's College London and the Centre for
Computing in the Humanities at King's College London and is funded by the JISC as part of the ENGAGE project.
Taverna
Paul Fisher
The Taverna workflow workbench provides an environment in which scientists design and execute workflows,
combining distributed services and data resources into a single experimental protocol. Taverna is an open source
project, developed as part of the myGrid project. More recently, myGrid has also developed components enabling
workflows to be executed without the need for the workflow workbench, which enables Taverna to be integrated
external resources, such as CaGrid and the Shared Genomics platform. Workflow sharing in myGrid is provided
through myExperiment, a social networking site for scientists. Not only is it a workflow repository, but it provides
functionality for: sharing, tagging, and rating workflows; social networking and collaboration between scientists; and
the creation of experimental research objects.
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