Google maps for next-gen facilities

[james hadfield]

Hi everyone,
I made a Google Map to try and add the facilities I knew of where there was a next-gen sequencer (and other genomics platforms). It is proving to be interesting to me but I would really like to make it easier for anyone to add content and search for users, always good when you want to find someone local to talk to!
Is there anyone out there who could make a really useful map, post it and then members of SeqAnswers could update it?
James.

Map Title is "Genomics: NextGen sequencers; Illumina (Solexa), ABI SOLiD, Roche/454. Microarrays: Illumina BeadStation, Affymetrix"

[gengen]

How can I access ?

Your map sounds very interesting and helpful !

If your map is public, please let me know how can I access your map.

Maybe, I could upload some information of Japan

[james hadfield]

Unfortunately I cannot get Google Maps to do what I would like and make a publicly accessible map where anyone can add their location and equipment.
Try a google map searh for "Genomics: nextgen", you should find it.

[ECO]

I love this idea and am looking into how to make it happen.

(james I got your msg, will respond tonight).

[bioinfosm]

this is good guys .. I will watch out for it

not sure if this link will work for people

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=105818748019109863589.00046217bff07919c1e07&cd=2&hl=en&ie=UTF8&z=2

[David Lovell]

GoogleMaps for next-gen: Suggestions about how to collaborate

Hi All,
First, big thanks to James for getting this happening. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, so when a colleague emailed me a pointer to this on SeqAnswers, I thought this opportunity to good to miss.

I think geographical view of sequencing (and related) facilities will be a very useful resource, especially as an overview of a very rapidly changing environment. Recently, Ewan Birney (EBI) gave a seminar and workshop series in Australia and, when he asked the obvious question “what sort of ‘omics facilities does Australia have?” it was impossible to give a succinct response.

I’m going to make some suggestions with the aim to create a map resource (or resources) that are (a) easy to search (b) easy to maintain (c) easy for anyone to contribute to.

My suggestions are
1. To use GoogleMaps as the platform, rather than anything more customised
2. To follow GoogleMaps’ approaches to collaborating and sharing
3. To consider having a map per continent, country or region, e.g., Europe, Australia, Oceania to avoid all the admin, setup etc falling on one altruist. One person has to “own” a GoogleMap, even though many others can contribute.
4. To use a labelling approach that’s helpful and consistent across maps

GoogleMaps provides the ability to import one GoogleMap into another (wanna try that James?) so it seems conceivable to create a master map from several others while devolving the responsibility of maintaining and managing different maps.

To explore these ideas a bit further I started a map of Australian 'omics and bioinformatics (with all of four entries).

I’d be interested to know your thoughts about this, or any ideas to make things work better.
Cheers,
David

[james hadfield]

http://tinyurl.com/orm8cr

here is a link, ask if you would like to be a collaborator and add your facility or any in your vicinity. I will need your email address to do this.
James.

[james hadfield]

David made some great comments and I have opened the map to collaborators and will try to mege our two maps to see how this works out.

3. To consider having a map per continent, country or region, e.g., Europe, Australia, Oceania to avoid all the admin, setup etc falling on one altruist. One person has to “own” a GoogleMap, even though many others can contribute.
In may ways I prefer to add anyone on SeqAnswers to the collaborator list on a single map to prevent things getting lost.

4. To use a labelling approach that’s helpful and consistent across maps
Absolutley, I tried to distinguish three main platforms and it is not easy. What do you do when there is everything in one lab! Your thoughts on this would be appreciated, anyone know how to build icons?

Glad to see this has gotten peoples attention.

[ECO]

Nice work gents. James, the pins aren't showing up for the map you set up. David's seems to work.

Edit: Nevermind. Just have to unview and view again. Added LIFE and corrected the location for Illumina's home base.

[JasonKTA]

I would add Prognosys Biosciences in La Jolla as an Illumina GAII sequencing center.

505 Coast Blvd. S
La Jolla, California 92037
858-459-2428

This map is a great idea and will be very useful. Thanks!

[Terry V]

Great stuff! Im gonna try and create a Google account, cuz I got some more centres to add. Could this be the start of a medical sequencing consortium?

[james hadfield]

Hi Everyone,
Several people have contated me about this post and asked to be added as collaborators so they can add facilities. I am more than happy to do this or let go and pass this resource onto someone elses more capable hands. Any volunteers?
I know there are loads of better user created and editable maps out there for other applications so it can be done better. However I will update and manage this creation until something better comes along.
Thanks for the positive response.
James.

[Terry V]

Volunteer nr 1

Hi James, although I do not have the capacity to come up with a better tool than GoogleMaps (when it comes to computer tools, I am completely dependant on what exists already), but I would be more than happy to take the burden of collecting everything out of your hands. I would be really motivated to expand and complete this thing!

[dkoboldt]

James,

I should point out that the markers for WashU are incorrectly located in Seattle, WA (where the Univ. of Seattle is located).

The Genome Center at Washington University is in St. Louis, Missouri.

Address: 4444 Forest Park Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA.

[vialea]

addition

Hi James
Please add Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York,zip code 10065).The Genomics Core Lab has a 454 and a SOLiD.
Thanks