Abstract

Data intensive disciplines, such as life sciences and medicine, are promoting vivid research activities in the area of databases. Modern technologies, such as high-throughput mass-spectrometry and sequencing, micro-arrays, high-resolution imaging, etc., produce enormous and continuously increasing amounts of data. Huge public databases provide access to aggregated and consolidated information on genome and protein sequences, biological pathways, diseases, anatomy atlases, and scientific literature. There has never been more potentially available information to study biomedical systems, ranging from single cells to complete organisms. However, it is a non-trivial task to transform the vast amount of biomedical data into actionable information, triggering scientific progress and supporting patient management.