ISBE Workshop report

ISBE connections should be formatted in ways that maximize the usefulness of the systems biology centres and, thereby, the infrastructure as a whole. They should greatly increase the yield and efficiency of European science and technology by enabling them to find, connect to, and engage with systems approaches and training thereof.

The ISBE WP13 aims to develop recommendations for what the connections in the infrastructure should comprise and how they should be structured in order to best serve the above purpose. WP13 defines the connectivity amongst ISBE nodes that enable European systems research and training activities to integrate and scale up. Connections include computer-only, computer-assisted and human-human interactions. Through ISBE, large systems biology-driven community efforts become feasible by connecting the expertise and resources of multiple different projects in past and present, and by enabling the new workforce to do so. This builds ISBE as a platform from which to launch large-scale integrative projects with high scientific and societal impact.

The partners of WP13 had finalised a draft proposal on the ISBE connections in month 15 (Deliverable D13.1, October 2013). In spring 2014, the steering committee initiated a structured process, led by WP11, towards drafting a Business Case by November 2014, which was subsequently concurred with by the consortium. The concepts and designs described in D13.1 provided a key part of the basis from which the delineation of the structure and functional coherence of the infrastructure as a whole was further being developed, back-to-back with the full ISBE consortium. WP13 partners engaged in drafting the Business Case and embedding the proposed connections therein. The contents of this draft document were used as the basis for obtaining comments and feedback from experts and the community.