A Novel Grid-based Visualization Approach for Metabolic Networks with Advanced Focus&Context View

• The universe of biochemical reactions in metabolic pathwayscan be modeled as a complex network structure augmented with domain specific annotations. Based on the functional properties of the involved reactions, metabolic networks are often clustered into so-called pathways inferred from expert knowledge. To support the domain expert in the exploration and analysis process, we follow the well-known Table Lens metaphor with the possibility to select multiple foci.In this paper, we introduce a novel approach to generate an interactive layout of such a metabolic network taking its hierarchical structure into account and present methods for navigation and exploration that preserve the mental map. The layout places the network nodes on a fixed rectilinear grid and routes the edges orthogonally between the node positions. Our approach supports bundled edge routes heuristically minimizing a given cost function based on the number of bends, the number of edge crossings and the density of edges within a bundle.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Datavetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Computer Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Visualization

Graph Drawing

Focus & Context

Table Lens

Metabolic Networks

Biochemical Networks

Computer science

Datavetenskap

Computer and Information Sciences Computer Science

Data- och informationsvetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kap (subject category)