Dear ISSIPers,

As a new ISSIPer, I would like to introduce other members to an innovative program I am working on targeted at biology students, academics and biologically orientated industrial groups. The program is called sbv IMPROVER, and is run by IBM and Philip Morris International. Below is a short description of the program. I feel that it provides a great platform for biology students to apply what they are learning in class in an open environment, build personal networks with students / researchers from other institites and potentially be recognized as one of the best performers in the challenges.

What is it?

sbv IMPROVER is a challenge-based ongoing program with a specific focus on the verification of industrial research processes related to systems biology (read more on www.sbvimprover.com).

Current Challenge

Online Crowd-Verification of Biological Networks – Be a Part of the Crowd!

The Network Verification Challenge (NVC) – part of the sbv IMPROVER program – is a crowd- approach for the verification and expansion of pre-defined biological networks.

Biological networks, with their structured syntax, are a powerful way of representing biological information; however, they can become unwieldy to manage as their size and complexity increase.

In NVC, web-based graphical interfaces are used to visualize biological relationships. Crowdsourcing principles enable participants to annotate these relationships based on literature evidences.

Why participate?

The best performers, as of 23 February 2014, will be invited to a 3-day “jamboree” in Switzerland (March 2014) to resolve controversies with subject matter experts.

The resulting network models will represent the current status of biological knowledge within the defined boundaries and remain available for continuous use and expansion by the scientific community.

How to participate or for additional information?

Learn more on the NVC website www.sbvimprover.com/nvc and become part of the scientific community improving the understanding of biological processes.You can also contact me or Joanna Taylor (ISSIP member).

The project team includes scientists from Philip Morris International’s (PMI) Research and Development department and IBM’s ThomasJ.WatsonResearchCenter. The project is funded by PMI.