BioMate

Lab-bench biologists find it difficult to use many existing tools for their data analysis. These tools are generally command-line computer programs written by computational biologists. Computational biologists do not have time to create user-friendly interfaces for their programs, and often find themselves spending a lot of time helping leb-bench biologists run their programs. This creates a burden for all involved: lab-bench biologists cannot move forward with their data analysis, and computational biologists cannot move forward with their research.

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Scenario

Our scenario involves a lab-bench biologist V. who seeks to run an experiment using a script written by X., a computational biologist.

1. V. tells X. via e-mail that she needs to use a Monte Carlo simulation script which he wrote
2. X. uses BioMate to create an interface for his Monte Carlo script.
3. X. shares his script with V. on BioMate
4. V. contacts X. again saying that she wants to be able to specify the number of iterations for his script
5. X. edits his Monte Carlo script interface to provide the ability to modify the number of iterations
6. V. access the update script through BioMate and obtains the command she needs
7. V. notices that 1000 iterations works well for her, so she makes a (personal) note on BioMate to remind her of this later. She saves the current configuration of this script in her history.
8. Some time later, V. goes back to BioMate because she wants to run the Monte Carlo script on a different input file. She pulls up her history and views the Monte Carlo script which she previously saved. She edits the parameter she wants changed and uses the modified output provided.

Individual Design Sketches

Sumaiya

Rebecca

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Avanti

Michael

Storyboard

Design One

Sketches

Analysis

Design Two

Sketches

Analysis

Design Three

Sketches

Analysis