EMBnet
Encyclopedia
EMBnet is an international network that aims to enhance bioinformatics
services by bringing together bioinformatics service providers. On 2011 EMBnet has 37 nodes spread over 32 countries. The nodes include bioinformatics related university
departments, research institutes and national service providers.
The main task of most EMBnet nodes is to provide their national scientific community with access to bioinformatics databanks, specialised software and sufficient computing resources. EMBnet is also working in the fields of bioinformatics training and software development
. Examples of software created by EMBnet members are: EMBOSS
, wEMBOSS , UTOPIA
.
EMBnet represents a wide user group and works closely together with the database producers such as EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute
(EBI), the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
(Swiss-Prot), the Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences
(MIPS), in order to provide a uniform coverage of services throughout Europe. EMBnet is registered in the Netherlands
as a public foundation (Stichting).
Since its creation in 1988, EMBnet has evolved from an informal network of individuals in charge of maintaining biological databases into the only organization worldwide bringing bioinformatics professionals to work together to serve the expanding fields of genetics
and molecular biology
. Although composed predominantly of academic nodes, EMBnet gains an important added dimension from its industrial members. The success of EMBnet is attracting increasing numbers of organizations outside Europe
to join. EMBnet has a tried-and-tested infrastructure to organise training courses, give technical help and help its members effectively interact and respond to the rapidly changing needs of biological research in a way no single institute is able to do. In 2005 the organization created additional types of node to allow more than one member per country. The new category denomination is "associated node".
servers in biology
(CSC BioBox)
EMBnet was the first to come up with solutions for daily database updates using Internet (NDT
), distributed computing (HASSLE) and efficient database browsing and linking (Sequence Retrieval System, SRS).
The Ping project was created as a mean to obtain continuous information about network efficiency across the whole of Europe
.
EMBnet is committed to bringing the latest software algorithm
s to the user free of charge (Extended GCG or EGCG) and continues to develop state of the art public software (EMBOSS
).
EMBER: a European Multimedia Bioinformatics Educational Resource. EMBER was an European Union (EU) funded project aiming to develop a suite of multimedia
bioinformatics educational tools
. EMBER comprises a self-contained, interactive Web tutorial in bioinformatics, & the equivalent stand-alone course on CD-ROM
.
The EMBnet community was involved in the creation of the peer reviewed journal Briefings in Bioinformatics (BiB). BiB was also supported by an educational grant from EMBnet.
Starting from 1994 and up to 2009 EMBnet has published the EMBnet.news. The EMBnet.news primary goal was to bring information and report on the latest news and developments from the network to the user community. Starting from 2010 the EMBnet.news was converted in the EMBnet.journal, an Open Access peer reviewed journal, publishing peer-reviewed primary research articles, reviews, technical notes, commentary, reportage, user-guides, training information and news in Bioinformatics.
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
services by bringing together bioinformatics service providers. On 2011 EMBnet has 37 nodes spread over 32 countries. The nodes include bioinformatics related university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
departments, research institutes and national service providers.
The main task of most EMBnet nodes is to provide their national scientific community with access to bioinformatics databanks, specialised software and sufficient computing resources. EMBnet is also working in the fields of bioinformatics training and software development
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
. Examples of software created by EMBnet members are: EMBOSS
EMBOSS
EMBOSS is an acronym for European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite. EMBOSS is a free Open Source software analysis package specially developed for the needs of the molecular biology and bioinformatics user community...
, wEMBOSS , UTOPIA
UTOPIA (Bioinformatics tools)
UTOPIA is a suite of free tools for visualising and analysing bioinformatics data...
.
EMBnet represents a wide user group and works closely together with the database producers such as EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute
European Bioinformatics Institute
The European Bioinformatics Institute is a centre for research and services in bioinformatics, and is part of European Molecular Biology Laboratory...
(EBI), the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
The Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics is an academic not-for-profit foundation which federates bioinformatics activities throughout Switzerland...
(Swiss-Prot), the Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences
Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences
The Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences is a research center hosted at the Institute for Bioinformatics at Neuherberg, Germany with a focus on genome oriented bioinformatics, in particular on the systematic analysis of genome information including the development and application of...
(MIPS), in order to provide a uniform coverage of services throughout Europe. EMBnet is registered in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
as a public foundation (Stichting).
Since its creation in 1988, EMBnet has evolved from an informal network of individuals in charge of maintaining biological databases into the only organization worldwide bringing bioinformatics professionals to work together to serve the expanding fields of genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and molecular biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
. Although composed predominantly of academic nodes, EMBnet gains an important added dimension from its industrial members. The success of EMBnet is attracting increasing numbers of organizations outside Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to join. EMBnet has a tried-and-tested infrastructure to organise training courses, give technical help and help its members effectively interact and respond to the rapidly changing needs of biological research in a way no single institute is able to do. In 2005 the organization created additional types of node to allow more than one member per country. The new category denomination is "associated node".
Coordination and organization
EMBnet is governed by the Annual EMBnet Meeting (AGM), and is coordinated by an Executive Board that oversees the activities of three project committees:- Education and Training committee (E&T). Educational support includes a series of courses organised in the member countries and languages, the committee works as well on the continued development of on-line accessible education materials.
- Publicity and Public Relations committee (P&PR). This committee is responsible for promoting any type of EMBnet activities, for the advertisement of products and services provided by the EMBnet community, as well as for proposing and developing new strategies aiming to enhance EMBnet’s visibility, and to take care of public relationships with EMBnet communities and related networks/societies.
- Technical Manager committee (TM). The TM PC provides assistance and practical help to the participating nodes and their users.
Achievements of EMBnet
EMBnet had the first gopher and World Wide WebWorld Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
servers in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
(CSC BioBox)
EMBnet was the first to come up with solutions for daily database updates using Internet (NDT
NDT
NDT can refer to:* Nondestructive testing, a type of testing which does not damage or destroy the original object* The National Debate Tournament, a national championship of intercollegiate policy debate...
), distributed computing (HASSLE) and efficient database browsing and linking (Sequence Retrieval System, SRS).
The Ping project was created as a mean to obtain continuous information about network efficiency across the whole of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
EMBnet is committed to bringing the latest software algorithm
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
s to the user free of charge (Extended GCG or EGCG) and continues to develop state of the art public software (EMBOSS
EMBOSS
EMBOSS is an acronym for European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite. EMBOSS is a free Open Source software analysis package specially developed for the needs of the molecular biology and bioinformatics user community...
).
EMBER: a European Multimedia Bioinformatics Educational Resource. EMBER was an European Union (EU) funded project aiming to develop a suite of multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
bioinformatics educational tools
. EMBER comprises a self-contained, interactive Web tutorial in bioinformatics, & the equivalent stand-alone course on CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
.
The EMBnet community was involved in the creation of the peer reviewed journal Briefings in Bioinformatics (BiB). BiB was also supported by an educational grant from EMBnet.
Starting from 1994 and up to 2009 EMBnet has published the EMBnet.news. The EMBnet.news primary goal was to bring information and report on the latest news and developments from the network to the user community. Starting from 2010 the EMBnet.news was converted in the EMBnet.journal, an Open Access peer reviewed journal, publishing peer-reviewed primary research articles, reviews, technical notes, commentary, reportage, user-guides, training information and news in Bioinformatics.