The mapping of the human genome has resulted in the availability of masses of breakthrough information for the medical research industry. Pharmaceutical companies are now racing to capture and analyse this information in their fight against AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's and other killers.
Information technology, which has played a crucial role in the mapping of the human genome, will continue to help scientists, assisting in solving mysteries, such as identifying the proteins that keep the heart functioning, and pinpointing the genes responsible for flawed proteins.
However, in order for IT to continue to contribute significantly in the future, incompatibility issues need to be overcome. Currently, there are too many systems being utilised by the medical research community, severely hampering the spread, and use, of the biological information generated by genome projects.
System integration and interoperability - simply being able to convert data into knowledge and action - is the top challenge facing biotech and pharmaceutical firms today.
Over the past two decades, for example, many researchers have built their own databases to help them manage the data they gather during a drug's path to the market.
And yes, 'home-grown' software probably did do the trick a few years back. But scientists today are not only confined within the walls of their labs. The continued growth of the pharmaceutical industry depends more and more on speed, innovation and strong revenue.
There is, however, some light at the end of the tunnel. Last year, 50 biotechnology, pharmaceutical and IT companies, including Sun Microsystems, announced the formation of the Informatics Infrastructure Consortium (13C).
Tertius Bezuidenhout, national SE manager at Sun Microsystems SA, explains: "13C was created with the purpose of establishing standards-based solutions for the movement of data between organisations."
At last year's BIO 2001 Conference in San Diego in the US, the 13C demonstrated an XML-based protocol for exchanging and analysing gene-sequence data, using products from 10 different companies.
"Such solutions are important first steps in not only enabling scientists to easily exchange and work with data across the Internet, but giving them a choice of IT solution providers that will assist their research," he says.
Researchers would therefore be freed from their dependence on highly expensive proprietary software solutions.
Industries ranging from telecommunications, finance to retail are all learning that they can co-operate on Internet-based standards like XML, UDD and SOAP while still remaining competitive. The medical and pharmaceutical sectors need to do the same.
Compatible, affordable IT will not only assist pharmaceutical companies in their quests to find those elusive cures, but will keep them in business longer.
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