text: // save gene data
  gene_data = {};
  
  function gene_info(gene_symbol){
  
    if (_.has(gene_data, gene_symbol)){
      var inst_data = gene_data[gene_symbol];
      set_tooltip(inst_data)
    } else{
      setTimeout(hzome_get_request, 500, gene_symbol);
    }
  
    function hzome_get_request(gene_symbol){
  
      if ( d3.select('.row_tip').classed(gene_symbol) ){
  
        // var base_url = 'http://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/Harmonizome/api/1.0/gene/'
        // var base_url = 'http://cleopatra.1425mad.mssm.edu:31731/Harmonizome/api/1.0/gene/'
        var base_url = 'http://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/clustergrammer/gene_info/'
  
        var url = base_url + gene_symbol;
  
        $.get(url, function(data) {
          data = JSON.parse(data);
  
          // save data for repeated use
          gene_data[gene_symbol] = {}
          gene_data[gene_symbol].name = data.name;
          gene_data[gene_symbol].description = data.description;
  
          set_tooltip(data);
  
        });
  
      }
  
    }
  
    function set_tooltip(data){
  
      if (data.name != undefined){
        d3.selectAll('.row_tip')
          .html(function(){
              var sym_name = gene_symbol + ': ' + data.name;
              var full_html = '<p>' + sym_name + '</p>' +  '<p>' +
                data.description + '</p>';
              return full_html;
          });
      }
    }
  
  }
  
  module.exports = gene_info;