ISYS: a decentralized, component-based approach to the integration of heterogeneous bioinformatics resources

Motivation: Heterogeneity of databases and software resources continues to hamper the integration of biological information. Top-down solutions are not feasible for the full-scale problem of integration across biological species and data types. Bottom-up solutions so far have not integrated, in a maximally flexible way, dynamic and interactive graphical-user-interface components with data repositories and analysis tools. Results: We present a component-based approach that relies on a generalized platform for component integration. The platform enables independently-developed components to synchronize their behavior and exchange services, without direct knowledge of one another. An interface-based data model allows the exchange of information with minimal component interdependency. From these interactions an integrated system results, which we call ISYS(TM). By allowing services to be discovered dynamically based on selected objects, ISYS encourages a kind of exploratory navigation that we believe to be well-suited for applications in genomic research.