NextBio.com - Semantic Search for Life Sciences

Science is progressing in ways unimaginable—genomes have been mapped, polio has been wiped off the other, sheeps (and possibly humans) have been cloned, and the list goes on. Technology is key to the developments made. So, it’s without surprise that NextBio has accomplished what it has. NextBio has taken the semantic web, and specifically semantic search and applied it to life sciences. The maze of information, the mass of studies and notes available often take weeks and months to sort through. When a scientist needs to find out what the effects of substance A on cell B, they often needed to turn to specialists who would be able to work their way through the maze. NextBio’s search engine has the ability to trawl this mass of information—through billions of papers and files and other data—to find the answer they seek. This allows for new discoveries, collaboration, increased productivity, and efficiency. NextBio encourages users to upload their data into their engine so it can be incorporated into the search. Registering for NextBio is free and allows you to collaborate and connect with others.

“NextBio's mission is to make the world's life sciences information universally accessible. Our goal is to empower researchers and clinicians to make new discoveries in science, find new and better cures to diseases, and work more collaboratively. Our enterprise clients include the world's top commercial and academic institutions, including Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Scripps Research Institute, Regeneron, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, UC Davis, Stanford, Celgene, Genzyme, and many others.”

NextBio certainly provides a much needed tool in the world of science. This search engine may revolutionize the way science is done. It allows for more efficiency and productivity. You can spend more time getting results rather than waiting for them

Will NextBio’s slim costumer base be an obstacle? The pharmaceuticals have their own tools in development, will they share in the open search as well? Or will they keep their results to themselves? What does this mean for NextBio?