APBioNet Event: BioGRID01

1. APBioNet Event:BioGRID01 Shoba Ranganathan Vice-President, APBioNet Assoc Prof, Bioinformatics Centre National University of Singapore shoba@bic.nus.edu.sg

2. Our New Website www.apbionet.org

3. Growth of APBionet • APBioNet was founded in Jan 1998 at the Pacific Symposium for Bioinformatics, Hawaii as a non-profit organization. • 2nd organizational meeting: June - July 1998 at the Sixth International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology in Montreal, Canada. • 2nd AGM: Jan 1999 at PSB'99, Hawaii. • 3rd AGM: Jan 2000 at PSB’00, Hawaii. • 4th AGM: Jan 2001 at PSB’01, Hawaii. • 5th AGM: Feb 2002 at BANGKOK!!!

4. APBioNet’s aims APBioNet is dedicated: • to the advancement of the field of bioinformatics and its development • network infrastructure, • the exchange of data and information, • the development of training programs, workshops and symposia and • the encouragement of collaborations in the field of bioinformatics.

5. Current Executive of APBionet • President: Prof. S Subbiah • Vice-President: Assoc Prof S Ranganathan • Secretariat headed by Assoc Prof Tan Tin Wee at the National University of Singapore Continuing from Jan 2000

6. Founding Members of APBionet • Prof S.Subbiah, Stanford University • Prof H Sugawara, National Institute of Genetics, Japan • Assoc Prof Tan Tin Wee, Bioinformatics Centre, National University of Singapore • Assoc Prof Tim Littlejohn, Australian National Genomics Information Service, Sydney • Dr Christoph Sensen, Canadian Bioinformatics Resource, National Research Council of Canada

7. An Asian Perspective? (Spengler, Science, 287 [2000] 1221)

8. Essential elements of Bioinformatics ...We must hook our individual computers into the worldwide network that gives us access to daily changes in the databases and also makes immediate our communications with each other. The programs that display and analyze the material for us must be improved - and we must learn to use them more effectively. Like the purchased kits, they will make our life easier, but also like the kits, we must understand enough of how they work to use them effectively… Walter Gilbert (1991) “Towards a paradigm shift in biology” Nature News and Views 349:99

9. Internet: APBionet & APAN • To further the development of the bioinformatics network infrastructure, APBioNet has formed a partnership with the Asia-Pacific Advanced Network project (APAN). • Towards the exchange of data and information, APBioNet's collaboration with APAN will link DDBJ, GenomeNet, HGC, NCC, ANGIS, MAFFIN, as well as allow individuals to exchange data and other scientific information quickly. • New APAN Natural Resource Area – with Agriculture and Earth Monitoring

10. BioMirrors Project

11. Bio-Mirrors • 22 relevant Bioinformatics databases maintained and updated regularly worldwide. • High speed access is provided by Internet2 infrastructure of the Very High Speed Backbone Service (vBNS), Abilene, TransPAC and the Asia-Pacific Advanced Network (APAN). • Currently there are 9 Bio-mirror nodes: Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and USA (data source)

12. BioGRID • Originally proposed as a distributed GRID computing project for Bioinformatics problems. • However, despite the setting up of large-scale grid computing facilities worldwide, BioGRID is yet to take off. • The time is right now and a new WG is being constituted to start this afresh – volunteers welcome!

13. Activities • APBioNet has sponsored or co-sponsored workshops and conferences in the areas of bioinformatics, molecular phylogenetics, biomolecular structural analysis and protein simulations. • Biomirrors project, with APAN collaboration • BioGrid: network of distributed scientific computing • Regional Bioinformatics awareness and outreach

14. Member countries active in 2000-1 Australia China Hong Kong Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia Nepal Russia Singapore Taiwan Thailand USA

15. New Events and Initiatives - 1 • InCOB 2002 Conference in Bangkok Feb 2002 supported by APBioNet • Forum on • BioPathways consortium, • I3C Informatics Interoperability consortium • BioOntologies consortium • SIGSIM • WEB01 Bioinformatics Education • Bioinformatics Open Source Consortium

16. New Event & Initiatives - 2 AsiaPacific Bioinformatics Institute (distributed campus) • Requirements document • ABI Task Force formation • International Selection Committee • Draft under preparation: "Call for Proposal of Host Institutions / countries"

17. New Event & Initiatives - 3 S* Life Science Informatics Alliance Global Bioinformatics Education trial course module by Shoba Ranganathan, Secretary, S* Alliance • Online Registration for any student in the world • Online Lectures by S* Stanford-Singapore-Sweden-SANBI-Sydney professors • Online Tutorials, Online Webchat and FAQs and online Teaching assistants • Online Assessment and Award of S* credits

18. New Event & Initiatives – 3… S* Life Science Informatics Alliance • Opportunity to register for Graduate Programs of S* Universities based on excellent results in Assessment • Stanford University • South Africa National Bioinformatics Institute • National University of Singapore • Karolinska Institutet, Sweden • Uppsala University, Sweden • University of Sydney • Course curriculum Development • Course evaluation

19. New Event & Initiatives - 4 BioGRID 2001 @ Singapore • What is GRID computing? • How can we harness its power for Genomics & Bioinformatics? • Examples of successful implementation of protocols and software for biocomputing

20. How to reach us • Join APBionet: http://www.apbionet.org • Suggestions/comments to: sec@apbionet.org