Scientific Visualization Competition Series: 2

We're excited to announce our second weekly science challenge, focusing on biological data visualization! This week, we're exploring gene expression data analysis, showcasing how Metapages can handle scientific workflows in your browser.

🎯 The Challenge​

Using the Metapages platform, create an interactive visualization workflow that explores differential gene expression patterns. Your creation should help researchers understand expression differences between conditions (e.g., disease vs. healthy, treated vs. untreated, developmental stages) while providing an intuitive, interactive interface.

📊 Dataset Guidelines​

You can use any gene expression dataset of your choice. Your dataset should:

• Contain gene expression measurements

• Be publicly available or properly licensed for use

• Include sufficient samples for meaningful visualization (typically >10 samples)

💡 Example Data Sources​

If you're looking for a place to start, here are some suggested resources:

1. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO)

   • Vast repository of expression datasets

   • Many cancer and disease studies

   • Various organism and tissue types

   • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/

2. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)

   • Comprehensive cancer genomics data

   • Multiple cancer types

   • Rich clinical metadata

https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/

1. Example Starter Dataset

   • COVID-19 patient transcriptomics (GSE152075)

📋 Suggested Visualizations​

Your workflow could include:

• Interactive heatmaps

• Volcano plots of differential expression

• PCA or t-SNE dimensionality reduction plots

• Gene expression boxplots

• Custom visualizations of your design

🎨 Evaluation Criteria​

Submissions will be judged on:

• Technical Implementation: Effective use of Metapages features

• Visual Design: Clear, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing

• Biological Insight: Meaningful exploration of the data

• Interactivity: User-friendly interface and meaningful interactions

• Innovation: Creative approaches to visualization

🏆 Prizes​

• First Place:

  • $200 Amazon Gift Card

  • Featured spotlight on Metapages homepage

  • Recognition in Metapages community showcase

📅 Timeline​

• Start Date: Thurday, February 20, 2025

• Submission Deadline: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 (11:59 PM GMT)

• Winners Announced: Thursday, February 27, 2025

📫 How to Submit​

1. Create your workflow on the Metapages platform:

https://metapage.io

1. Ensure your workflow is publicly accessible

2. Submit to competition@metapage.io including:

   • Your workflow's public URL

   • Your name

   • Optional:

     • LinkedIn Profile (encouraged)

     • Brief description of your visualization approach (max 300 words)

     • Technical implementation details

     • Platform feedback

🚀 Getting Started​

Visit our Quick Start Guide for:

• Dataset loading examples

• Basic visualization templates

• Component communication tutorials

• Bioinformatics workflow examples

🛠️ Important Notes​

• The platform is in alpha - reach out if you encounter any issues

• Focus on creating clear, intuitive visualizations

• No prior bioinformatics experience required

• We encourage creative approaches!

❓ Questions?​

• Join our Discord community for technical support

• Email support@metapage.io for platform-specific questions

• Connect on Bluesky for general discussion

Good luck! We're excited to see your creative approaches to biological data visualization! 🧬 ✨