A database for tracking toxicogenomic samples and procedures

Reproductive toxicogenomic studies generate large amounts of toxicological and genomic data. On the toxicology side, a substantial quantity of data accumulates from conventional endpoints such as histology, reproductive physiology and biochemistry. The largest source of genomics data is DNA microarrays, which generate enormous amounts of information in the course of profiling gene expression. Thus, data storage and management become essential and require a more sophisticated system than lab notebooks and electronic spreadsheets. We developed a database for tracking toxicogenomic samples and procedures (TSP 1.0) for our reproductive studies based on the MIAME-Tox guidelines and relational database theory. This database stores the various types of data from both toxicological and genomic assays in a hierarchical fashion. The user-friendly interface provides easy procedures for researchers to add, edit, save, delete, and navigate different records. Finally, TSP facilitates exporting microarray data into public databases. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.