Skip to content

ARAX

Back to ARAs

ARAX Autonomous Relay Agent Page

  • Accepts queries via TRAPI (Translator API) format that triggers automated answering and ranking.
  • Accepts queries using ARAXi: a domain-specific language that allows users more fine-grained control on what algorithms are utilized and how when asking their questions.
  • Integrated with numerous Knowledge Sources and Knowledge Providers, with automatic (or optionally, manual) specification of what sources and providers are utilized.

Technical User Guide to ARAX

There are two main modes for interacting with ARAX: the first is via posting TRAPI messages to the ARAX API. Examples of doing this are included here.

The second way to interact with ARAX is via the GUI. There, you will see four different query types: 1. You can build a query graph by clicking on this icon: 2. You can paste in a query_graph element in a JSON TRAPI message (circumventing the need to manually POST TRAPI queries) by clicking on this icon: 3. You can enter ARAXi domain specific language commands by clicking on this icon: 4. You can enter an ARS PK ID (to pull results from the Autonomous Relay System) after clicking on this icon:

No matter which method is used, after submitting a query, the results can be viewed via the links on the left vertical bar under output: .

If you want to look up an identifier for a specific natural language term, please use the Synonyms link under the Tools section of the left vertical bar:

Each of the query methods has a link to an example so a user can see what sort of information is to be expected. If you run into any issues with using any aspect of the system, please open an issue here.

ARAX is registered in Smart API here.

If you would like to deploy your own instance, please see the dependencies listed here, here for how to build the Expander Agent portion of the Knowledge Graph here (more info about this knowledge graph, called KG2, is available here), and the deployment wiki.

Use Cases

Please be aware that as BioLink is updated, predicates and categories may change. Similarly, as ARAX deploys new versions, the endpoint may change (eg. v1.4 in the below), and various other small modifications may be needed in these use-cases.

  • one-hop query:

cat <<EOF >onehop.json 
{
      "bypass_cache": false,
      "enforce_edge_directionality": false,
      "max_results": 100,
      "message": {
        "query_graph": {
          "edges": {
            "e00": {
              "object": "n01",
              "predicates": ["biolink:interacts_with"],
              "subject": "n00"
            }
          },
          "nodes": {
            "n00": {
              "categories": ["biolink:ChemicalEntity"],
              "ids": ["CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112"]
            },
            "n01": {
              "categories": ["biolink:Protein"]
            }
          }
        }
      },
      "page_number": 1,
      "page_size": 100,
      "return_minimal_metadata": false,
      "stream_progress": false
}
EOF

curl -X POST \
     "https://arax.transltr.io/api/arax/v1.4/query?bypass_cache=false" \
     -H  "accept: application/json" \
     -H  "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d @onehop.json
should result in something similar to this response:
{
  "context": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/biolink/biolink-model/master/context.jsonld",
  "datetime": "2021-05-10 11:56:19",
  "description": "Normal completion",
  "id": "https://arax.transltr.io/api/arax/v1.4/response/9182",
  "logs": [
    {
      "code": "",
      "level": "INFO",
      "message": "ARAX Query launching on incoming Query",
      "timestamp": "2021-05-10T11:56:19.774118"
    },
    ...
  ],
  "message": {
    "knowledge_graph": {
      "edges": {
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEBI:4056-biolink:physically_interacts_with-CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:semmeddb",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:semmeddb",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:has_supporting_publications",
              "value": [
                "PMID:10872641",
                "PMID:11330834",
                "PMID:23032911",
                "PMID:25319358",
                "PMID:25753323",
                "PMID:25956474",
                "PMID:30293568",
                "PMID:30915487",
                "PMID:31600996"
              ],
              "value_type_id": "biolink:Publication"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112",
          "predicate": "biolink:physically_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEBI:4056"
        },
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112-biolink:molecularly_interacts_with-UniProtKB:O00519": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:chembl",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "UniProtKB:O00519",
          "predicate": "biolink:molecularly_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112"
        },
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112-biolink:molecularly_interacts_with-UniProtKB:P08684": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:pharos",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "UniProtKB:P08684",
          "predicate": "biolink:molecularly_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112"
        },
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112-biolink:molecularly_interacts_with-UniProtKB:P10635": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:pharos",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "UniProtKB:P10635",
          "predicate": "biolink:molecularly_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112"
        },
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112-biolink:molecularly_interacts_with-UniProtKB:P12268": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:pharos",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "UniProtKB:P12268",
          "predicate": "biolink:molecularly_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEMBL.COMPOUND:CHEMBL112"
        },
        ...   
* two-hop query with several various overlay commands and filtering:

cat <<EOF >kitchensink.json 
{
  "bypass_cache": false,
  "enforce_edge_directionality": false,
  "max_results": 100,
  "message": {},
    "operations": {"actions": [
            "add_qnode(name=arthritis, key=n00)",
            "add_qnode(categories=biolink:Protein, is_set=true, key=n01)",
            "add_qnode(categories=biolink:ChemicalSubstance, key=n02)",
            "add_qedge(subject=n00, object=n01, key=e00)",
            "add_qedge(subject=n01, object=n02, key=e01, predicates=biolink:physically_interacts_with)",
            "expand(edge_key=[e00,e01], kp=ARAX/KG2)",
            "overlay(action=overlay_clinical_info, observed_expected_ratio=true, virtual_relation_label=C1, subject_qnode_key=n00, object_qnode_key=n02)",
            "filter_kg(action=remove_edges_by_attribute, edge_attribute=probably_treats, direction=below, threshold=.8, remove_connected_nodes=t, qnode_key=n02)",
            "overlay(action=compute_jaccard, start_node_key=n00, intermediate_node_key=n01, end_node_key=n02, virtual_relation_label=J1)",
            "overlay(action=predict_drug_treats_disease, subject_qnode_key=n02, object_qnode_key=n00, virtual_relation_label=P1)",
            "resultify(ignore_edge_direction=true)",
            "filter_results(action=limit_number_of_results, max_results=15)",
            "return(message=true, store=false)"
        ]},
  "page_number": 1,
  "page_size": 100,
  "return_minimal_metadata": false,
  "stream_progress": false
}
EOF

curl -X POST \
     "https://arax.transltr.io/api/arax/v1.4/query?bypass_cache=false" \
     -H  "accept: application/json" \
     -H  "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d @kitchensink.json
should result in this response: (This utilizes a few different overlay commands which hit a few databases so this may take a minute or two)
{
  "context": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/biolink/biolink-model/master/context.jsonld",
  "datetime": "2021-05-10 11:36:58",
  "description": "Normal completion",
  "logs": [
    ...
  ],
  "message": {
    "knowledge_graph": {
      "edges": {
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEBI:67079-biolink:physically_interacts_with-CHEMBL.TARGET:CHEMBL1641359": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:semmeddb",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:semmeddb",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:has_supporting_publications",
              "value": [
                "PMID:22552402",
                "PMID:27320659",
                "PMID:30199704"
              ],
              "value_type_id": "biolink:Publication"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "CHEMBL.TARGET:CHEMBL1641359",
          "predicate": "biolink:physically_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEBI:67079"
        },
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEBI:67079-biolink:physically_interacts_with-CHEMBL.TARGET:CHEMBL3301559": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:semmeddb",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:semmeddb",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:has_supporting_publications",
              "value": [
                "PMID:29427163"
              ],
              "value_type_id": "biolink:Publication"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "CHEMBL.TARGET:CHEMBL3301559",
          "predicate": "biolink:physically_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEBI:67079"
        },
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEBI:67079-biolink:physically_interacts_with-UniProtKB:O00206": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:semmeddb",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:semmeddb",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:has_supporting_publications",
              "value": [
                "PMID:30099678"
              ],
              "value_type_id": "biolink:Publication"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "UniProtKB:O00206",
          "predicate": "biolink:physically_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEBI:67079"
        },
        "ARAX/KG2:CHEBI:67079-biolink:physically_interacts_with-UniProtKB:P01137": {
          "attributes": [
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:original_source",
              "value": "infores:semmeddb",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:semmeddb",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:has_supporting_publications",
              "value": [
                "PMID:15285804"
              ],
              "value_type_id": "biolink:Publication"
            },
            {
              "attribute_source": "infores:arax_ara",
              "attribute_type_id": "biolink:knowledge_provider_source",
              "value": "infores:rtx_kg2_kp",
              "value_type_id": "biolink:InformationResource"
            }
          ],
          "object": "UniProtKB:P01137",
          "predicate": "biolink:physically_interacts_with",
          "subject": "CHEBI:67079"
        },
...

Knowledge Providers Accessed

Currently, ARAX will query every SmartAPI registered, TRAPI compliant KP. These include:

Source Code

External Documentation