Abstract

Following the growing trends in bioinformatics, most biological processes are simulated to run on automated platforms using high throughput computing power. In the field of Biology where huge data sets are generated through field work and experimental studies, it is timely to manage and analyse these data using the powerful computing technology. Some institutions have information documented in the form of spreadsheets or even structured databases using commercialized software, while others are still working with conventional methods of data storage which is mostly in unstructured forms. However most of the databases are independently developed and not interrelated in any way and there are no semantics to link them. Hence no generation of knowledge about biodiversity is possible from such databases. Additionally, in taxonomy studies, researchers collect huge number of specimens which are then converted into digital images in the form of photographs or illustrations. These images are also described by biologists but the information is often not captured together with the image during digitalization of these images hence valuable information is missed out when building image databases. Due to this, image and textual biodiversity databases still exists independently. A user often has to switch between distinct systems before the extracted information can be combined. This talk aims to present current issues in managing data in life sciences which includes documentation of data into structured formats using a standard meta-data, integration of data and retrieval of both images and textual data. Additionally, this talk also presents development of ontologies in biodiversity which currently is a growing trend.