April 7, 2011 – We all know that ontology itself came from the bio world identifying nature and relations of being. So can you share with me the irony that the sciences are building ontologies of ontology?
This topic was inspired by an article found on Live Science titled, “Inside Life Science: What Is an Ontology?” Researchers face a similar problem as the rest of us in trying to manage the growing amount of data they produce. To make it easier for biologists to understand data and share what they know, the National Institutes of Health is funding computer scientists to build virtual libraries called ontologies using a universal language.
Ontology Web Language, a popular choice, gives every protein, every gene, every biological process, a standard name. An ontology also establishes what biologists know about the objects they study, and they can organize terms to show how objects and concepts relate to each other. You know, like an ontology.
Melody K. Smith
