Figure 1

Screening Workflow and Screensaver Domain Model. A - Screening Workflow (mapped onto Screensaver Domain Model): A typical screening workflow is represented at the top of the figure (A). The light gray lines indicate how data generated from the workflow map onto the Screensaver domain model (B). The screener develops an assay protocol (1) that is entered into Screensaver by administrators and stored as a Screen entity. The screening facility provides the library stock plates (2) to carry out the primary screen (3). Library information, imported into Screensaver by administrators, is stored as Library entities. The screener and facility staff carry out data analysis, annotation, and curation (4) before the data is deposited into the database by administrators. Based upon the analysis, the screener chooses library reagents for follow-up work and requests the cherry picks (5), which are entered into Screensaver by administrators. Administrators then use Screensaver to generate plate mapping files for cherry pick plate creation. The mapping files are employed by facility staff who use laboratory automation equipment to plate the cherry picks (6). Cherry pick plates are screened in secondary and tertiary assays by the screener (7). B - Screensaver Domain Model (primary entities): The primary entities of the Screensaver domain model are represented at the bottom of the figure (B) and are partitioned into color-coded groups. Two primary types of users are supported: Administrators and Screeners. Administrators represent the staff working at the facility. Screeners are users that conduct Screens. Screens, in turn, test the Reagents in one or more Libraries using protocols specified in the Screen. The Screen produces Screen Results containing a set of Result Values. Each Result Value is a single experimental data point for a given Library Well. A Study contains Annotation Values, which annotate Reagents with biologically relevant information, derived from a Screen or imported from other sources, such as journal publications or public databases. A Library groups together a set of Wells and Reagents, laid out across one or more plates. A Copy represents a physical instance of a Library and its plates, and tracks the volumes of reagent remaining in each of its plates' wells. Activities track the events occurring in the lab as well as data updates made in the database (for auditing purposes), and are associated with the User that performed the activity. Cherry Pick Requests are created for a given Screen when cherry pick plates need to be produced for a follow-up validation assay.