Angel A. Alvarez, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607
B-lymphopoiesis is a well-studied part of the hematopoietic system. The cellular development of B-lymphocytes, arising as the progeny of hematopoietic stem cells, has been defined to consist of several stages based primarily on the presence or absence of specific membrane proteins. None the less, new proteins are continually being discovered and the process involving intra- and extra-cellular interactions is still being characterized on the molecular level. New software was developed to assist in better organizing the molecular genetic process of B-lymphopoiesis and will be extended to include to entire hematopoietic system. The software gives an animated view of the cellular processes and also incorporates a reference database that enables the user to access specific research articles. Furthermore, the software was designed to allow researchers to update the system in light of new discoveries. In the future, it is planned that the program will be available via the Internet to allow greater scientific collaboration and contribute to the general understanding of cellular development.