The Global Biodata Coalition and ELIXIR have released the result of their latest stringent selection of biodata resources deemed essential for life science. The SIB Resources Bgee and Cellosaurus are included in the Global Core Biodata Resources, recognizing their worldwide importance. On the European level, SWISS-MODEL is recognized as an ELIXIR Core Data Resource – with other SIB tools and initiatives also recognized for the first time in other categories. A great testament to the work of SIB’s teams to provide high-quality resources, affirming Switzerland’s leading position as a biodata resource provider internationally.
About the Global Core Biodata Resources (GCBRs)
GCBRs are resources designated as being of critical importance in the life science community worldwide. They are selected by the Global Biodata Coalition (GBC), an international coalition of research funders with the aim to better coordinate approaches for the efficient funding, management and growth of biodata resources worldwide. Its set-up was co-led by SIB.
Recognition for SIB Resources on the worldwide stage
The initial list of Global Core Biodata Resources (GBCRs – see box) was announced in 2022, with three SIB Resources included: Rhea, UniProt and STRING. This year, after a selection process in which 50 independent experts assessed over 90 software and databases, 15 more resources are being included. Two of these are databases which are expertly curated by SIB teams, e.g. part of the SIB Resources portfolio: Bgee, an expertly-curated gene expression database developed within the group of Marc Robinson-Rechavi and Frédéric Bastian, and Cellosaurus, an expertly curated database on cell lines, developed by the group of Amos Bairoch and Lydie Lane.
ELIXIR's recognition of resources developed in Europe
ELIXIR is an intergovernmental organization bringing together life science resources from across Europe. Through careful evaluation, resources deemed essential for the community get recognized in various categories such as:
- Core Data Resources (CDRs) – software tools and databases that are of fundamental importance for the long-term preservation of biological data
- Deposition Databases (DDs) – recommended repositories for the deposition of experimental data
- Recommended Interoperability Resources (RIRs) – tools that facilitate FAIR-supporting activities in scientific research
Recognition for SIB Resources on the European stage
SWISS-MODEL, a suite of protein structure homology-modelling software and databases developed by the group of SIB’s Torsten Schwede, has now been included in the ELIXIR Core Data Resources. This development brings the number of SIB Resources represented in this list to 5, with SWISS-MODEL joining Cellosaurus, Rhea, STRING and UniProt.
About the FAIR Cookbook
Co-created by scientists in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, the FAIR Cookbook aims to develop and disseminate guidance on the processes needed to make and keep data FAIR. It is already a recommended resource by the IMI/IHI and the Horizon Europe Health programmes. ELIXIR-CH (SIB) co-leads this resource, its maintenance and evolution, along with colleagues in the Luxembourg, UK, and Spain Node, and with the participation of the US NIH Office of Data Science Strategy.
First recognition for SIB’s deposition databases and recommended interoperability resources
ModelArchive is an open repository for computationally determined protein structures. It has now also been included in the ELIXIR Deposition database, a set of recommended repositories for experimental data to complement the ELIXIR Core Data Resources.
How Model Archive facilitates sharing of computer-predicated protein structures
In addition to this, the Bgee SPARQL Endpoint and the FAIR Cookbook – an online, open and live resource for the life sciences (see box) – have both now been listed in the ELIXIR Recommended Interoperability Resources.
Switzerland as a provider of high-quality resources worldwide
These developments further embolden SIB’s model to maintain Switzerland’s position as a leading provider of open high-quality software and databases enabling life science advances. The country affirm its position as the third largest provider of GCBRs in the world and the second largest provider of ELIXIR CDRs in Europe. These recognitions also aim to serve as a strong signal for these resources to be further supported towards their long-term sustainability.
Read the international release from the Global Biodata Coalition
