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The promotion of EMBnet: computer network for bioinformatics in Europe

Objective

The main objectives of this BRIDGE funded programme are all relevant to the reinforcement of the European Molecular Biology Network (EMBnet). EMBnet was established in 1988, initially, as a data collection backbone to EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory). Thanks to the improvement of computer network communications, its scope and mandate has greatly enlarged and national EMBnet nodes have been entrusted to manage biocomputing services in their own countries.
A scheme for the future training programme for EMBnet/BRIDGE was decided. This programme included; one ad hoc seminar per annum, practial courses and annual business meetings. For all courses and seminars, precedence has been given to those organised by more than one country.

A pilot project for the development of improved data exchange mechanisms has been started. The acquisition of Multinet TCP/IP software was financed. This software allows the improvement of local communication standard as it is no obstacle for a mixed environment VMS-UNIX, which are the two operative systems most wide spread in the EMBnet community.

A bulletin board was set up for the exchange of experience among the EMBnet users, which can discuss topics of common interest directly online using a single electronic mail address.

A comprehensive study was carried out on the EMBnet status and its possible developments. It listed the various services available online from EMBnet, with a detailed analysis of the connectivity performance. The study also included suggestions for improvement and a chapter was devoted to hardware, users, funding and staff and another to education, user services and databases.
The aim of the proposal is to reinforce the first European Bioinformatic Infrastructure: EMBnet. Embnet is a computer network for the molecular biology and biotechnology community in Europe whose detailed goals are: - the development of a communications infrastructure
- the involvement of the scientific community in the creation of an information system giving users access to research data
- the support of biocomputing research and the provision of information services to both academic and industrial users.
8 EC members (Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands and the United Kingdom), 4 EFTA members (Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Finland) and 4 industrial groups participate in this project. Furthermore 2 industrial partners (Hoffman Laroche and DEC Italy) have expressed their intent to support the Embnet project as the enclosed letters testify. The proposals we are coordinating are intended to render the Embnet regional nodes fully operative, to catalyze collaboration and to promote new initiatives within the biocomputing field in projects which embrace service, technological and scientific development areas. This project will lead to the enlargement of the European nucleic acid sequences databank which will be especially beneficial in the light of the increasing signs of protectionism in the USA concerning access to US-based data services by non-Americans.

Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Coordinator

EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY
EU contribution
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Address
Meyerhofstrasse 1
HEIDELBERG
Germany

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Participants (12)