The data mining platform comprises a plurality of system modules (500, 550), each formed from a plurality of components. Each module has an input data component (502, 552), a data analysis engine (504, 554) for processing the input data, an output data component (506, 556) for outputting the results of the data analysis, and a web server (510) to access and monitor the other modules within the unit and to provide communication to other units. Each module processes a different type of data, for example, a first module processes microarray (gene expression) data while a second module processes biomedical literature on the Internet for information supporting relationships between genes and diseases and gene functionality.