Fishing for the right data

Having successfully cracked the code behind the human genome, scientists now face a far greater task. Only when scientists can exactly determine which gene generates which protein, and how this functions, can convincing statements be made on the cause and treatment of illnesses such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and cancer.
In the search for the answers to these questions, great amounts of data are produced day by day in research laboratories in pharmaceutical companies and universities. Bioinformatics is continually gaining in importance for the evaluation of relevant data from the mass of data produced. Customary methods for evaluation are no longer sufficient, however. Models must be developed which can make precise predictions on the importance of the data determined. You can read about an example of this in an article on "Bioinformatics and Systems Biology" in our actual edition (page 34). Once developed, a potential drug must stand up to legal regulations. In an application article "Integrating Scientific Data into the Product Innovation Circle" (page 50), the author shows the importance that a sound Data Management System has with respect to 21 CFR Part 11. A further article is devoted to "Regulatory Affairs - Where do we stand in 2002?". It describes the present situation with regard to the submission of an application for the approval of a new medicine in electronic form (page 56). We can sum up by saying that not only will electronic approval considerably advance research in medicine, but also that further developments in Bioinformatics will contribute towards the examination of the meaning and information content of scientifically won data. Instead of fishing in the dark!

Rosemarie Asang-Soergel