Java for Bioinformatics and Biomedical Applications - Bal and Hujol
Preface
On April 15, 2003, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium (IHGSC) - an association of laboratories from around the world which had jointly undertaken the Human Genome Project formally announced the completion of the colossal task they had set out to accomplish: the sequencing and assembly of the 3 billion bases that comprise the human genome. This was a truly landmark achievement for science and medicine. Today, the word "genome" has become a household term and together with bioinformatics has revolutionized how we approach biomedical research. The human genome project has led to identification of thousands of disease genes and paved the way for the development of newer drugs and treatments. Undoubtedly, the sequencing of the human and other genomes is just the beginning of the revolution that is unfolding right in front of our eyes. We are moving towards a paradigm shift in medicine, from just-in-time treatment that is given after the onset of symptoms to predictive and personalized treatment where the determination of the genetic factors predisposing an individual to disease is made right at birth and treatment started much before the onset of disease.
There is also a fundamental shift in how biomedical research is going to be conducted and funded in the years to come, especially, in areas such as cancer research and heart disease where there is a critical need to bring newer and better treatments for patients. Cancer has passed heart disease as the number one killer in UK and US and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as a major health problem across the globe. To meet this challenge, the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) has launched the biggest collaborative research program in 2003 called the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG™). In the words of NCI Director, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, "...caBIG will become the 'World Wide Web' of cancer research informatics and will accelerate the development of exciting discoveries in all areas of cancer research". Thus started the journey towards the NCI Challenge Goal, "To eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer by 2015" and together with it the efforts
of more than 50 NCI-designated cancer centers, scores of research laboratories, Universities and public and private institutions across the country.
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Preface
On April 15, 2003, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium (IHGSC) - an association of laboratories from around the world which had jointly undertaken the Human Genome Project formally announced the completion of the colossal task they had set out to accomplish: the sequencing and assembly of the 3 billion bases that comprise the human genome. This was a truly landmark achievement for science and medicine. Today, the word "genome" has become a household term and together with bioinformatics has revolutionized how we approach biomedical research. The human genome project has led to identification of thousands of disease genes and paved the way for the development of newer drugs and treatments. Undoubtedly, the sequencing of the human and other genomes is just the beginning of the revolution that is unfolding right in front of our eyes. We are moving towards a paradigm shift in medicine, from just-in-time treatment that is given after the onset of symptoms to predictive and personalized treatment where the determination of the genetic factors predisposing an individual to disease is made right at birth and treatment started much before the onset of disease.
There is also a fundamental shift in how biomedical research is going to be conducted and funded in the years to come, especially, in areas such as cancer research and heart disease where there is a critical need to bring newer and better treatments for patients. Cancer has passed heart disease as the number one killer in UK and US and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as a major health problem across the globe. To meet this challenge, the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) has launched the biggest collaborative research program in 2003 called the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG™). In the words of NCI Director, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, "...caBIG will become the 'World Wide Web' of cancer research informatics and will accelerate the development of exciting discoveries in all areas of cancer research". Thus started the journey towards the NCI Challenge Goal, "To eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer by 2015" and together with it the efforts
of more than 50 NCI-designated cancer centers, scores of research laboratories, Universities and public and private institutions across the country.
Download
*