SBIR Phase II: HIVbase, Data Integration Software to Support the Study of Chronic Viruses

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will provide HIV researchers with progressive approaches to manage and analyze genetic data. There is a crisis developing in biology, in that completely unstructured information does not enhance understanding. Today's HIV investigators possess massive amounts of research information in user-hostile formats, error- filled spreadsheets, outdated databases, and directories containing thousands of individual files. These researchers need advanced protocols for extracting value from their disorganized information. Phase I feasibility study proved that the proposed solution provides a quality link between collection and the analysis of data that has never before been available to HIV researchers. This link helps HIV researchers do their job and ultimately promotes understanding for the most deadly and costly epidemic of our time. This project aims to solving researchers problems through the development of software that combines the power of unique data storage and integration with novel applications for data mining, analysis, and data retrieval. The goal is to provide researchers with a combination of modern querying, database, and analysis approaches. The initial target market for the proposed product is made of HIV researchers and their associated facilities. This market is large, growing in multiple directions, and in need of this product. HIV infects an estimated 40 million people and is being funded at record levels from both government and private organizations. The major significance of the proposed product is in its ability to assist accelerate the efforts of the many scientists, epidemiologists and pharmacologists to make important discoveries relating to this on-going and tragic epidemic