ELIXIR will radically day, scientists International Distributed Research enhance Europe’s data and doctors are finding Consortium Agreement Infrastructure which is infrastructure and make it out more about genes, between countries and at the same time an more accessible. That proteins and the EMBL on which means presenting users complex networks at EMBL will provide the with a single, transparent play in living things. legal entity and offer interface to a world of This information some of its services to resources. It also means provides valuable ELIXIR. fully integrating the insights into how we growing variety of data so and other life forms that we can make the grow and change, and most of our expanding how diseases informatics capacity. progress. Research projects It can help us look at biological problems understand a patient’s from many perspectives, family history better, using several different and discover technologies. It should be substances that can simple for large, be used to make new distributed groups to draw medicines to treat on a number of powerful disease. It can also data resources to answer inform the way we complex questions, and to plant crops, or how move from one to the we might use them other seamlessly. differently. But there are hundreds of The results of these biological databases in experiments the data – Europe, ranging from are a goldmine for – major core datasets life scientists, both in – such as the vertebrate academia and in genomes in Ensembl to industry. They are not – very small specialist only essential for collections overseen on a research, but are in part-time basis by themselves the individual researchers. bedrock for developments in: This is confusing to the majority of potential healthcare food An effective data production and infrastructure will security encompass all of these environmental resources, and tie them in protection rationally to the tools used energy to access and interpret the data they contain. and a host of Importantly, it will be other sustainably funded so that industries that the data do not disappear. innovate on the infinite potential of life. In terms of stimulating industry and innovation, ELIXIR will be a key foundation in the European life sciences innovation chain. Approximately
International Consortium Agreement between countries and EMBL on which EMBL will provide the legal entity and offer some of its services to ELIXIR. ELIXIR will radically enhance Europe’s data infrastructure and make it more accessible. That means presenting users with a single, transparent interface to a world of resources. It also means fully integrating the growing variety of data so that we can make the most of our expanding informatics capacity. Research projects look at biological problems from many perspectives, using several different technologies. It should be simple for large, distributed groups to draw on a number of powerful data resources to answer complex questions, and to move from one to the other seamlessly. But there are hundreds of biological databases in Europe, ranging from major core datasets – such as the vertebrate genomes in Ensembl – to very small specialist collections overseen on a part-time basis by individual researchers. This is confusing to the majority of potential An effective data infrastructure will encompass all of these resources, and tie them in rationally to the tools used to access and interpret the data they contain. Importantly, it will be sustainably funded so that the data do not disappear. day, scientists and doctors are finding out more about genes, proteins and the complex networks at play in living things. This information provides valuable insights into how we and other life forms grow and change, and how diseases progress. It can help us understand a patient’s family history better, and discover substances that can be used to make new medicines to treat disease. It can also inform the way we plant crops, or how we might use them differently. The results of these experiments – the data – are a goldmine for life scientists, both in academia and in industry. They are not only essential for research, but are in themselves the bedrock for developments in: healthcare food production and security environmental protection energy and a host of other industries that innovate on the infinite potential of life. In terms of stimulating industry and innovation, ELIXIR will be a key foundation in the European life sciences innovation chain. Approximately Distributed Research Infrastructure which is at the same time an
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