Sebastopol, CA--Because the bioinformatics revolution is both young and far reaching, we're casting a wide net for proposals. Bioinformatics is the art and science of using computational tools to find answers to biological questions. Practitioners of biology and computational science struggle to understand the mission, mindset, and issues that each other face. This conference attempts to bridge the gap between the communities and address what is perhaps the most important issue in bioinformatics: how to get the job done. We are interested in ideas and techniques that focus on innovative and practical ways of using tools to extract, process, or predict information that advances biological science, research, education, or commercial activity. We're also interested in hearing about novel solutions to difficult problems.

The O'Reilly Bioinformatics Conference will consist of various tracks determined by the subject matter of the submissions. Presentations should lean more towards practical matters of installing, running, or extending existing bioinformatics tools and techniques, rather than to theoretical issues of biology or biological algorithm design.

"The use of computing power in gene research, drug development, and other life sciences applications is reaching critical mass," notes Tim O'Reilly, founder and president of O'Reilly & Associates. "Bioinformatics and related fields are on the verge of becoming the next big thing for the computer industry, with billion dollar fortunes made and lost, and products that change all of our lives." As renowned technology pundit, and O'Reilly Bioinformatics Conference committee member, Clay Shirky remarked at last year's Biological Open Source Computing Conference, "In a few years, we'll realize that the Internet explosion was only the second biggest thing that happened to technology in the late '90s."

The goal is to share practical information about the uses of computational techniques in R&D and in labs. Biologists have a real need for information on implementation--that is, how to develop and use software tools that will enable them to prove their theories and enable them to explore the engineering aspects of bioinformatics.

Invited speakers include industry leaders Gene Myers, vice president of Informatics Research, Celera Genomics, and Nathan Myhrvold, founder of Open Design and former chief technology officer of Microsoft Corporation.

The submission deadline for all proposals is: August 15, 2001. Presenters will be notified of selection results by October 15, 2001.

See the Bioinformatics Call for Participation for complete information about the requirement, submission and acceptance process.