-------- Messaggio Originale --------
Oggetto: bioinformatics.org
Data: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 15:33:32 +0100
Da: pwd9148 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
A: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Referenze: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi all,
i contacted jeff bizzarro, president of bioinformatics.org. He would like to attend the strategic conference, if we invite him.
Two words about bioinformatics.org. It is a website hosting several free software projects (around 200 i think) focussing on computer tools for biologists. Bioinformatics is a very important branch of biology, and any genetics-related research has to rely on bioinformatics tools, since a lot of computation is needed when dealing with genetic sequences. In this context, dominated by patents issued by biotech industries, bioinformatics.org is trying to preserve from commercialisation a set of tools. This is a key aspect, since the openness of databases and tools resulting from genome projects, that they ensure, is a (maybe too weak, but it is the only one so far) defense against attempts to put them under IP and patents ownership. Moreover, the openness of such tools let researchers join these research lines, that may be monopolised otherwise.
I think it is an important experience. But there is maybe too a small consciousness about these issues, when dealing with copyleft project, and you may think it is not worth inviting him.
In case, he would need some funding. What do you think about it?
Andrea
_______________________________________________ www.e-laser.org [EMAIL PROTECTED]
