Much current European effort is being expended in developing modes of data integration and database interoperability, either as a ‘one-stop-shop’ federation or more recently in the development of ‘smart’ clients which integrate data from multiple sources or run tailor-made workflows. At present, biological databases cross-reference other databases with accession numbers or IDs as one way of linking their related knowledge together. Additionally, standardization of data representation and transfer is required for enabling the integration of existing and new databases. Assured growth, persistence and accessibility of databases are therefore imperative to encourage and support data deposition. Currently, much of the collected data are stored in a way that does not always guarantee future retrieval by other researchers. Since biological knowledge is distributed worldwide and therefore among many differently specialized databases, it is difficult and frequently impossible to ensure preservation and consistency of information as well as data quality. Biological databases have consequently become an important tool in assisting scientists to understand and explain biological molecules and processes, in addition to their interactions. Information on these material resources is commonly presented through databases such as the International Mouse Strain Resource (IMSR). Furthermore, with the increased attention recently given to mouse mutants that serve as models for human disease and the development of novel therapeutic strategies there has been a proliferation of material resources serving to support mouse research. ![]() These databases contain genomic (including sequencing, expression and microarray), proteomic (structure and function) and metabolomic data as well as information about function, structure, localization and clinical effects of mutations. In our attempt to better understand the biology of human disease we are generating increasingly diverse and specialized data sets, many of which are extremely large and complex, with the result that when primary data is put in the public domain it is scattered through an increasing number of knowledge domain specific databases and bioresources. We discuss the financial sustainability issues and potential business models that could be adopted by biological resources and consider long term preservation issues within the context of mouse functional genomics efforts in Europe. ![]() In this study we examine the problems that currently confront the data and resource infrastructure underlying the biomedical sciences. ![]() A common challenge for most data resources and biological repositories today is finding financial support for maintenance and development to best serve the scientific community. ![]() Sustained access, facilitating re-use of these resources, is essential, not only for validation, but for re-analysis, testing of new hypotheses and developing new technologies/platforms. As a result, numerous repositories have been created to store and archive data, organisms and material, which are of substantial value to the whole community. Following the technological advances that have enabled genome-wide analysis in most model organisms over the last decade, there has been unprecedented growth in genomic and post-genomic science with concomitant generation of an exponentially increasing volume of data and material resources.
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