Shomer B, Harper R A, Cameron G N
Europeun Molecular Biology Laboratory Outstation, European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, Combridge, United Kingdom.
Methods Enzymol. 1996;266:3-27. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(96)66003-0.
The scope of the EBI is focused on providing better services to the scientific community. Technological advancements in the hardware area provide EBI with means of producing data much faster than before, and with greater accuracy since there is now a better technical ability to produce more exhaustive searches through larger indices. Hand in hand with the technological developments, research and development work is continuing on better indexing systems and more efficient ways of establishing and maintaining the future databases. The existing links of communication between EBI and the user community are exploited to study the needs of the scientific community, to provide better services, and to enhance the quality of databases by interpreting user feedback and updates. A very important goal is to enhance the awareness of the scientific (and, maybe even more, the nonscientific) public of the importance of the modern field of bioinformatics and to introduce special meetings and courses, in which more specific subjects will be studied in depth. Another aspect of this goal is to help in constructing special bioinformatics programs in university faculties. In such programs, in contrast to the existing layout, students will pursue studies in a combined environment that provides basic training in biology and in computation. Currently, one of the main problems in the field is that scientists are either biologists, who are self-educated in the field of computers and programming, or computer scientists without sufficient knowledge of biology. It is hoped that a combined program will provide a high level of education in both fields of interest at the appropriate ratios. Building an efficient and friendly interface between the EBI and the user community is the basis for any future development. This aim is achieved by using the most modern server systems while continuously researching newer and better systems and interfaces. This task can never be complete without involvement of the user community by providing feedback to any of EBI's services. A better bioinformatics community is a necessity for any future development of the biological research aiming at a better society.
欧洲生物信息学研究所（EBI）的工作范围集中于为科学界提供更好的服务。硬件领域的技术进步使EBI能够以前所未有的速度生成数据，并且准确性更高，因为现在有了更好的技术能力，可以通过更大的索引进行更详尽的搜索。随着技术的发展，关于更好的索引系统以及建立和维护未来数据库的更有效方法的研发工作仍在继续。EBI与用户群体之间现有的通信链接被用于研究科学界的需求，通过解读用户反馈和更新来提供更好的服务，并提高数据库的质量。一个非常重要的目标是提高科学界（甚至可能更多的是非科学界）公众对现代生物信息学领域重要性的认识，并举办特别会议和课程，深入研究更具体的主题。这个目标的另一个方面是帮助在大学院系构建特殊的生物信息学课程。在这样的课程中，与现有布局不同，学生将在一个结合了生物学基础培训和计算基础培训的环境中学习。目前，该领域的一个主要问题是，科学家要么是生物学家，他们在计算机和编程领域是自学成才，要么是计算机科学家，但对生物学知识不足。希望一个联合课程能以适当的比例在这两个感兴趣的领域提供高水平的教育。在EBI和用户群体之间建立一个高效且友好的界面是未来任何发展的基础。通过使用最现代的服务器系统，同时不断研究更新更好的系统和界面来实现这一目标。如果没有用户群体通过对EBI的任何服务提供反馈来参与，这项任务永远无法完成。一个更好的生物信息学群体对于旨在建设更美好社会的生物学研究的任何未来发展都是必要的。
