Lessons learned from the legacy of bioinformatic resources at SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics

The life cycle of a bioinformatics resource has been described as consisting of the proof-of-concept phase, the emerging phase, the mature phase, and the legacy phase. At a time when the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) are being applied to bioinformatic resources, questions around reusability and archiving of resource components—especially ensuring they are interoperable— are unavoidable. Since 2000, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) has mandated and funded the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics to identify, support, and develop key open bioinformatics resources. SIB portfolio comprises both emerging and mature resources. When a resource ends—due to insufficient funding, retirement or move of the Principal Investigator outside of Switzerland —SIB ensures that the resources remain available if still relevant to the scientific community. Here, we present use cases that provide insight into current and past practices, as well as lessons learned.