Bioinformatics, Genomics &Libraries

Training: A Librarian’s Guide toNCBIApril 7-11, 2014Bethany Harris

NCBI :: National Center for BiotechnologyInformationNLM :: National Library of MedicineNIH :: National Institutes of Health

National Center for BiotechnologyInformation

• PubMed & over 40 biomedical and genomic databases andbioinformatics tools

Genomics

• Genome = complete set of an organism’s DNA

• DNA contains the information needed tobuild the entire humanbody

Genomics

• Every human cell contains approximately:– 3 billion DNA base pairs (A,T,C,G) [Alphabet]– 20,000 genes (special segments of DNA) [Words]– 250,000 to 1,000,000 proteins [Machines]

• Genes make proteins and other molecules thatbuild our body and make it function

Bioinformatics

• Applying computer and information sciencemethods to biological information

Problems & Possibilities

• Molecular basis of disease• Sequencing techniques and big data• Personalized medicine• Knowledge extraction from the literature

Knowledge extraction

Problems & Possibilities

“Educational reform is needed across the

continuum of medical education, from thestudent to the faculty training them, andrequires a shift in focus from factualknowledge to data management andinterpretation.”

- Nelson and McGuire, Genome Medicine, 2010, 2:18http://genomemedicine.com/content/2/3/18

Library roles

Enter the library:

– Experts in information management, navigation & dissemination– Example: PubMed analogy

Consumer health & genomicinformation service provider

Who:• Anyone with a reference or public

service role

What:• Internal consumer health and

genomic literacy training– Public and library resources

Why:• Become an informed health care

PubMed & Entrez search instructor

Who:• Health and life sciences liaisons What:• Instruction on searching and

navigating Entrez system– PubMed and numerous connections

to NCBI bioinformatics resources Why:• Promote enhanced usage of

Bioinformatics instructor

Who:• Health and life sciences liaisons

What:• Library or curriculum-based instruction on

bioinformatics tools– BLAST in undergraduate genetics or

translational science course

Why:• Enhance genomic literacy and teach useful

informatics skills• Relate course material to informatics in action