Objective The objective of the BIOSAPIENS Network of Excellence is to provide an infrastructure to support a large scale, concerted effort to annotate genome data by laboratories distributed around Europe. This will use both informatics tools and input from experimentalists. Experimental validation of a statistically significant subset of the predictions will be an integral part of the process, leading to an iterative improvement in methods. TheNetwork will bring together many of the best laboratories to create a European Virtual Institute for Genome Annotation, divided into nodes, each focussed on one aspect of genome annotation. Through integration the institute will help to improve bioinformatics research in Europe, by providing a focus for annotation and by the organisation of European meetings and workshops to encourage cooperation, rather than duplication of effort. It will also be pro-active in forging closer integration between the experimentalists and bioinformaticians, through a directed programme of genome analysis, focused on specific biological problems. The annotations generated by the Institute will be available in the public domain and easily accessible through a single portal on the web. This will be achieved through a distributed annotation system (DAS), which will evolve to take advantage of new developments in the GRID. The BIOSAPIENS NoE will increase European competitiveness, especially for SME's, by new discoveries, increased integration, expert training and improved tools and services. The Institute will establish a permanent European School of Bioinformatics, to train bioinformaticians and to encourage best practice in the exploitation of genome annotation data for biologists throughout Europe. In summary the Institute will further a European Research area for Bioinformatics, enhancing Europe's role in the academic and industrial exploitation of genomics'. Keywords annotation data integration Programme(s) FP6-LIFESCIHEALTH - Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health: Thematic Priority 1 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) LSH-2002-1.1.4-1 - Developing methods and resources in bioinformatics to focus on the annotation of human and other genomes Call for proposal FP6-2002-LIFESCIHEALTH See other projects for this call Funding Scheme NoE - Network of Excellence
