SCOPmap combines the results of several existing sequence and structure comparison tools applied to a query protein of known structure in order to find the homologs already classified in the SCOP (Structural Classification of Proteins) database and thus determine classification assignments. SCOPmap is able to map domains within newly solved structures to the appropriate SCOP superfamily level with ~95% accuracy. SCOPmap is also capable of identifiying potential evolutionary relationships not specified in the SCOP database, thus helping to make it better. SCOPmap is therefore useful for assigning domains in newly solved structures to appropriate superfamiles and for identifying evolutionary links between different superfamilies.*

Researchers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) will work with UTSW scientists to develop a SCOPmap science gateway with a web portal front end. The gateway enables secure access to a SCOPmap web portal which allows users to easily upload one or more proteins and easily conduct comparisons as rapidly as possible and retrieve the results through the portal. The architecture for the SCOPmap science gateway is shown below.

*Reference: SCOPmap: Automated assignment of protein structures to evolutionary superfamilies, Sara Cheek, Yuan Qi, S Sri Krishna, Lisa N Kinch and Nick V Grishin, BMC Bioinformatics, 2004, 5:197.