B2B Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics has been described by the National Institutes of Health as:  “Research, development, or application of computational tools and approaches for expanding the use of biological, medical, behavioral or health data, including those to acquire, store, organize, archive, analyze, or visualize such data.”  http://www.bisti.nih.gov/

Bush-To-Base Bioinformatics is the term used to describe a cyberinfrastructure designed to capture, organize, store, share, analyze and disseminate biological and life sciences information from fieldsites to websites.    The cyberinfrastructure is based on a single organizing principle:  the Public Health Triad:  humans, animals and the environment.   Our cyberinfrastructure utilizes different elements of Information Technology (IT) to help analyze the complex interactions and linkages therein, and facilitate bridging the gaps of the Public Health Triad.

Global Positional Systems (GPS) is the term used to describe an elaborate technological system designed to provide the location of a given object on the planet earth.   GPS utilizes sophisticated satellites that are constantly orbiting the earth.  Through a process of triangulation, field biologists can capture location information from satellite-signaling that synchronizes directly into Bush-To-Base Bioinformatics. Location information on chimpanzee sightings and sample collection, for example, can be captured and recorded by the cyberinfrastructure for easy integration with biological data, as well as other environmental information.  GPS and the cyberinfrastructure provides a standardized method for different members of the research team and scientists from different disciplines to accurately report their data spatially.  Thus, GPS and Bush-To-Base Bioinformatics enables studies to work in tandem, integrating multi-source findings and facilitating studies and communications on the interrelationships occurring between people, animals and the environment. 

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful technological tool for organizing data, displaying relationships, making associations, testing hypothesis, and modeling of natural occurrences.   GIS enables researchers to manage and process large volumes of data from both a spatial and temporal perspectives and study the dynamics of the interrelationships and linkages, thereby further bridging the gaps of the Public Health Triad.

Thus, Bush-To-Base Bioinformatics cyberinfrastructure works via an elaborate network of interconnections providing a mechanism to rapidly transfer information across many boundaries, thereby facilitating multi-disciplinary studies, data sharing, sample sharing, and integrated scientific assessments over both time and/or space by collaborating scientists around the world.