ABSTRACT
Summary. Since the mid-1970s, DNA and protein sequence data has led to remarkable discoveries that are revealing the fundamental causes of cancer and genetic disease. By the year 2005, the Human Genome Project will produce a complete blueprint of human biology. Scientists and physicians access these data in GenBank®, a NIH database developed, maintained and distributed by the NCBI. These sequences are linked directly to molecular structure databases and to the biomedical journal literature through bibliographic databases like MEDLINE®. This new knowledge management system functions with the use of e-mail, CD-ROM products, and Internet client-server applications, and blends the world of print publishing with primary source data residing in globally accessible databanks. Current systems require that human beings initiate specific search, analysis, and retrieval requests. However, software robots already maintain and update these data, and “intelligent agents” will soon be available for the automated and targeted dissemination of new research findings. This paper discusses the development of this new working model and speculates about the impact of future technological advances, the effect on how researchers and physicians work, and possible applicability to other research disciplines.
