Life science projects in Japan
Former name: Genome, post genome projects in Japan
| Institute for Bioinformatics Research and Development | |
| Project Name | Institute for Bioinformatics Research and Development |
| Start Year | 2001 |
| End Year | - |
| Implementing Period | - |
| Budget Amount | 1.9 billion yen (FY2005) 1.8 billion yen (FY2006) 1.8 billion yen (FY2007) 1.7 billion yen (FY2008) 1.8 billion yen (FY2009) 1.8 billion yen (FY2010 budget request) |
| Major Researchers | Chief: Motoya Katsuki (National Institute for Basic Biology) Vice Chief: Toshihisa Takagi (Research Organization of Information and Systems) |
| Summary | Construction and advancement of basic database in life science field |
| Major Features of Project | - In this project, the following three programs are carried out: 1. Advancement and standardization of biological database 2. Bioinformatics-creative research and development 3. Incubation center for creation of new information biology - This project has such themes as development of database and algorithm, and the resulting databases are required to be made public for evaluation of research outcome (Administrative Order Concerning Method of Evaluating Themes for Institute for Bioinformatics Research and Development). ( http://www-bird.jst.go.jp/kenkyu/hyouka/souzou/h16keizoku/jigo/jigo-h16keizoku-03.html ) |
| Description of Project | Excerpts from "What is BIRD?" ( http://www-bird.jst.go.jp/index_e.html ) BIRD's mission is to aid the progress of bioinformatics and promote creation of new biology, which has computational, deductive, predictive, and theoretical features. To carry out its responsibilities, BIRD * Promotes appropriate development of bioinformatics research and development, such as what kinds of databases and analysis software should be developed and what kind of computer facilities are needed for that development. * Maintains the computer environment and network and functions as a funding agency to further promotion plans. * Develops basic databases: genome sequence database, protein 3D structure database, gene expression profile database, molecular interaction database, etc. * Conducts and coordinates integration, enhancement, and standardization of the basic databases. * Develops computing tools for analyzing various kinds of biological and experimental data, data mining from databases, computer simulation of living systems and so on. * Develops ontologies necessary for data and knowledge description of databases storing biological functions and integration of the basic databases. * Conducts and coordinates research and development of innovative and creative technologies and theories which move toward understanding life as an information system, especially approaches by collaboration of computer scientists and experimental scientists. * Provides computer facilities for developing databases and software and making them publicly available. * Sets up training courses for teaching utilization of databases and tools for novices in bioinformatics and sponsors scientific meetings. * Provides community space with high performance computing facilities where innovative ideas are cultivated by free discussion and "trial and error" with the computer in order to promote development of young scientists who will create new biological discoveries based on bioinfomatics and become leaders in the field. BIRD (Institute for Bioinformatics Research and Development) From the unification of bioscience and informatics to the creation of knowledge JST advances the effectiveness of biological databases such as the genome database and promotes research and development to clarify biological phenomenon with bioinformatics. By transmitting the project outcomes, JST contributes to the construction of the world's best life-science data infrastructure and the further progress in life-science research. Our main programs are as follows: Advancement and standardization of biological database JST promotes the improvement of databases that are essential for identifying new knowledge from an enormous amount of biological information. JST helps such databases to play a role as a life-science data infrastructure and to be publicly available. Research and development based on the creative biological information knowledge Approaching integrated informatics and bioscience, JST promotes research and development with the aim of finding principles and rules of life processes from a variety of biological information and systematizing them, and publicizes the obtained results. These results serve as an incentive for developing bioinformatics, and JST supports the establishment of new bioscience based upon it. Dissemination of research outcomes JST disseminates the bioinformatics-related technologies and databases derived from the research results in the life- science research community. JST has been providing following resources to allow an efficient use of genomerelated information. - A one-stop database of publicly available human genome-related information resources in the world - Information processing technology for promoting an advanced use of genome data - Databases of human genome polymorphism and their cross-database search site JST provides training courses on the usage of various databases and bioinformatics technologies, and seminars on the research trend. Participation in the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) GBIF is a global science project through which each participating organization and country provide bio-diversity data on distributed networks, and allow those data to be utilized through the Internet. JST takes an active role as the secretariat of the GBIF Japan Science Committee which was established to promote the activities in Japan. |
| Public Release Status | The outcomes of each research theme are publicly released, and JST provides a comprehensive website about the project. Many databases are downloadable. |
| Classification of Database Public Release Status | Partially shared,Publicly released |
| Public Database | Available databases and analysis tools( http://www-bird.jst.go.jp/database/bird/) |
| Data Download Site | Available databases and analysis tools( http://www-bird.jst.go.jp/database/bird/ ) |
| Website | BIRD (Institute for Bioinformatics Research and Development) Website ( http://www-bird.jst.go.jp/ ) |
| Implementing Ministry/Agency | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) |
| Commercialization Re | - |
| Reports | Refer to "Accomplishment report meeting" ( http://www-bird.jst.go.jp/kenkyu/sympo/ (Japanese)). |
| Evaluation Reports | Refer to "Evaluations" ( http://www-bird.jst.go.jp/kenkyu/hyouka/ (Japanese)). |
| Other Literatures | For the list and number of literatures concerning this project, see the webpage for the outcome of the applicable project theme. |