Meeting: Working Group

Evolutionary Informatics: Supporting Interoperability in Evolutionary Analysis


Date12-Nov-2007 ~ 14-Nov-2007
ProjectEvolutionary informatics: supporting interoperability in evolutionary analysis
SummaryThe continuing growth of bioinformatics and genomics presents an opportunity for expanding the application of evolutionary methods, with respect to both the amount and the variety of systematic comparative data. Powerful tools exist for inferring phylogenies, detecting selection, and so on, but integrating evolutionary methodology into workflows in bioinformatics does not depend so much on the power of analysis tools as it does on infrastructure: software and standards for data exchange, visualization, input-and-output, editing, control, and storage-and-retrieval. The EvoInfo working group will develop community cohesion on issues of standards and interoperability, and will facilitate (directly and indirectly) development of an interoperable software infrastructure for evolutionary analysis through activities such as: documenting use-cases that illustrate data sets, formats, and procedures; enhancing support for current conventions and standards; proposing and supporting revisions to current conventions and standards; and developing a new generations of standards and practices promoting interoperability.