NamesforLife Semantic Resolution Services for the Life Sciences (N4L-SRS)

Within the Genomes-to-Life Roadmap, the DOE recognizes that a significant barrier to effective communication in the life sciences is a lack of standardized semantics that accurately describe data objects and persistently express knowledge change over time. As research methods and biological concepts evolve, certainty about correct interpretation of prior data and published results decreases because both become overloaded with synonymous, multiple terms for a single concept, and polysemous terms, single terms with multiple meanings. Ambiguity in rapidly evolving terminology is a common and chronic problem in science and technology. NamesforLife, N4L is a novel technology designed to solve this problem. The Phase I project was based on a prototype that demonstrated that names, concepts, and the objects to which names apply must be treated independently. As proof of principle, a preliminary data model and XML schema were developed and a simple semantic resolver was deployed. In Phase I, that model was substantially refined to address limitations of the prototype. The Phase II project will extend the scope of data curation and build a framework for distributing information services to users. N4L consolidates references to different kinds of data about the same organism, tracking the state of knowledge about it over time. For selected organisms, this aspect of the technology will be applied to a range of genomic and phenotypic data deposits. N4L information services are made available to the user directly via the text in which they are reading related content. Phase II will achieve widespread deployment of these services, which are specific to the material being viewed by the user. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The data proposed by N4L and convenient applications will bring semantic accuracy to bioinformatics practice while simultaneously enabling new business models