DATABASE REQUIREMENTS FOR QTL MAPPING IN LIVESTOCK

Genetic mapping in livestock and the hunt for quantitative trait loci have been concentrated in several small to medium size laboratories. I nformation systems developed at these laboratories to support research range from full relational database management systems with World Wid e Web interfaces to spreadsheets on standalone microcomputers. There h as been little coordination of effort on database issues between labor atories. Sharing and combining data between laboratories is at best di fficult and time consuming. Obstacles to effective data exchange go be yond networks and software and often result from differences in concep tual schema, nomenclature, and semantics. Data sharing capabilities ma y be improved by physically consolidating data or by integrating distr ibuted data. This presentation describes and compares specific informa tion system architectures felt to be viable alternatives for a coopera tive strategy to improve data sharing capabilities.