TitleIntegration of data systems and technology improves research and collaboration for a superfund research center.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsHobbie KA, Peterson ES, Barton ML, Waters KM, Anderson KA
JournalJ Lab Autom
Volume17
Issue4
Pagination275-83
Date Published08/2012
ISSN2211-0682
Biostatistics, Chemistry Techniques, Analytical, Computational Biology, Cooperative Behavior, Environmental Health, Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems, Oregon, Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic, Universities

Large collaborative centers are a common model for accomplishing integrated environmental health research. These centers often include various types of scientific domains (e.g., chemistry, biology, bioinformatics) that are integrated to solve some of the nation's key economic or public health concerns. The Superfund Research Center (SRP) at Oregon State University (OSU) is one such center established in 2008 to study the emerging health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons while using new technologies both in the field and laboratory. With outside collaboration at remote institutions, success for the center as a whole depends on the ability to effectively integrate data across all research projects and support cores. Therefore, the OSU SRP center developed a system that integrates environmental monitoring data with analytical chemistry data and downstream bioinformatics and statistics to enable complete "source-to-outcome" data modeling and information management. This article describes the development of this integrated information management system that includes commercial software for operational laboratory management and sample management in addition to open-source custom-built software for bioinformatics and experimental data management.

10.1177/2211068212448428
Alternate JournalJ Lab Autom
PubMed ID22651935
PubMed Central IDPMC3460553
Grant ListP30 ES000210 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
P30ES000210 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
P42 ES016465 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
P42ES016465 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
R21 ES020120 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
R21ES020120 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
RC4 ES019764 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
RC4ES019764 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
Projects Reference: 
Superfund