There are two main objectives of this project. First, is to outline a multi-ontology framework for a Foods-for-Health knowledge system. This knowledge system begins as a framework for linking multiple ontologies on the Agriculture-Food-Diet-Health knowledge spectrum. A brief overview of the necessary knowledge domains and their respective information sources is presented. Second, is to outline a more in-depth focus on the nutrigenomics knowledge domain-highlighting available ontologies and databases that can be utilized to grow this knowledge space.
How might the integration of individual health data, information, knowledge—including nutrigenomics, guide population-level nutrition advice and food processing and production methods?
Because most existing ontology creation software has a rather steep learning curve, we have chosen to use concept maps as our preferred curation software. As the informaiton becomes more complex, this could change.
Methods for developing overall framework include: 2) Identify the data, information, and knowledge systems that exist in each of these knowledge domains and review their structures, capabilities, and shortcomings.
Our methods for developing specific knowledge domains within the framework are as follows: 1) After having identified and reviewed the structures, capabilities, relationships and shortcoming of information systems within a knowledge domain—decide and prioritize elements from each system and/or knowledge source (literature) to be included. 2) When no suitable information repository exists, students are encouraged to create a new conceptual map that bridges these information gaps. 3) Once initial concept maps are in place, appropriate people are chosen for an editorial/curatorial workflow as follows: Senior Undergrad-->early Grad Student-->PhD Candidate/
Post Doctoral Scholar-->Local Expert--> National/Global Expert 4) Information with a high degree of structure (ontologies and databases) is extracted, transformed, and loaded into a repository capable of generating CMAPS 5) Manually created concept maps are submitted into a relational database and combined with the digitized resources from #4. 6) New concept maps are created from the combined repository—centered around a query of a users interest.
Preliminary results will be shown for concept maps that include information across several knowledge domains including: Nutrigenoimics, nutrients, food-nutrient composition, herbs, herbal aromas and bioactive components, known thresholds for detecting specific aromatic compounds, genetics of the olfactory bulb its impact on these thresholds, beer, mouthfeel characteristics of specific beers, aroma qualities of specific hops used within beers, beef slaughter, hazard analysis at critical control points of the slaughter process, Halaal and the beef slaughter process.