SWS: accessing SRS sites contents through Web Services

Background: Web Services and Workflow Management Systems can support creation and deployment of network systems, able to automate data analysis and retrieval processes in biomedical research. Web Services have been implemented at bioinformatics centres and workflow systems have been proposed for biological data analysis. New databanks are often developed by taking into account these technologies, but many existing databases do not allow a programmatic access. Only a fraction of available databanks can thus be queried through programmatic interfaces. SRS is a well know indexing and search engine for biomedical databanks offering public access to many databanks and analysis tools. Unfortunately, these data are not easily and efficiently accessible through Web Services. Results: We have developed `SRS by WS' (SWS), a tool that makes information available in SRS sites accessible through Web Services. Information on known sites is maintained in a database, srsdb. SWS consists in a sui...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: BMCBI
• Authors: Paolo Romano 0001, Domenico Marra
• Keywords: BMCBI 2008, SRS Sites, Systems, Web Services