Chapter 1 What is identifier mapping?

Identifier mapping is translating between different ways of naming the same biological entity.

Common situations:

  • Data uses stable IDs (e.g., Ensembl gene IDs)
  • Downstream tools want gene symbols (e.g., HGNC)
  • Some assays use non-gene identifiers (probes, peptides, genomic coordinates)

1.1 Visual overview