The Semantic Synapse Project

Research in neuroscience, biomedicine and molecular biology is producing ever faster growing amounts of experimental data and models. Unfortunately, it is becoming apparent that current technologies for the storage and the communication of this complex information (e.g. relational databases, XML) are inadequate and are starting to hold back scientific progress. Information is often represented in forms that can hardly be processed by machines; different information sources are poorly connected and important information stays undiscovered.

The Semantic Synapse Project aims to break down these barriers through the adaptation of new Semantic Web technologies. The term ‘Semantic Web’ designates a new generation of the World Wide Web (WWW), which makes it easy for software and users to process information and to make logical links. The project will be focused on the neuronal synapse, a field of outstanding biological and medical importance.

The goal of the Semantic Synapse Project is to develop Semantic Web ontologies, tools and best-practices for use in neuroscientific and biomedical research. Furthermore, we are striving to establish this new interdisciplinary field of research in the intersection of biomedicine, neuroscience and computer science here in Vienna.

The project is led by Matthias Samwald as part of his PhD thesis and is supervised by  Prof. Klaus-Peter Adlassnig (Section on Medical Expert and Knowledge-Based Systems, Medical University of Vienna).

 http://biopax.org - Biological Pathways Exchange ontology

 http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/hcls/ - W3C Semantic Web Health Care and Life Sciences Interest Group