EMBOSS is a free
open source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized sof ...
software analysis package developed for the needs of the
molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...
and
bioinformatics
Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data, in particular when the data sets are large and complex. As an interdisciplinary field of science, bioinformatics combi ...
user community.
The software automatically copes with data in a variety of formats and even allows transparent retrieval of sequence data from the web. Also, as extensive libraries are provided with the package, it is a platform to allow other scientists to develop and release software in true open source spirit. EMBOSS also integrates a range of currently available packages and tools for sequence analysis into a seamless whole.
''EMBOSS'' is an acronym for European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite. The ''European'' part of the name hints at the wider scope. The core EMBOSS groups are collaborating with many other groups to develop the new applications that the users need. This was done from the beginning with
EMBnet
The European Molecular Biology network (EMBnet) is an international scientific network and interest group that aims to enhance bioinformatics services by bringing together bioinformatics expertises and capacities. On 2011 EMBnet has 37 nodes spread ...
, the European Molecular Biology Network. EMBnet has many nodes worldwide most of which are national bioinformatics services. EMBnet has the programming expertise.
In September 1998, the first workshop was held, when 30 people from EMBnet went to
Hinxton
Hinxton is a village in South Cambridgeshire, England.
The River Cam runs through the village, as does the Cambridge to Liverpool Street railway, though the village has no station. Hinxton parish's southern boundaries form the border between Ca ...
to learn about EMBOSS and to discuss the way forward.
The EMBOSS package contains a variety of applications for
sequence alignment
In bioinformatics, a sequence alignment is a way of arranging the sequences of DNA, RNA, or protein to identify regions of similarity that may be a consequence of functional, structural, or evolutionary relationships between the sequences. Alig ...
, rapid database searching with sequence patterns, protein motif identification (including domain analysis), and much more.
The AJAX and NUCLEUS libraries are released under the
GNU Library General Public Licence. EMBOSS applications are released under the
GNU General Public Licence
The GNU General Public License (GNU GPL or simply GPL) is a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the four freedoms to run, study, share, and modify the software. The license was the first copyleft for general us ...
.
EMBOSS application groups
See also
*
Open Bioinformatics Foundation
The Open Bioinformatics Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization focused on supporting open source programming in bioinformatics. The mission of the foundation is to support the development of open source toolkits for bioinformatics, ...
*Soaplab - A
SOAP
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
web service interface including EMBOSS
*
Genostar
Genostar is a bioinformatics provider based in Grenoble, France. The company was founded in 2004 following the "Genostar consortium" that was created in 1999 as a public-private consortium by Genome Express, Hybrigenics, INRIA (Institut National d ...
- Integration of some of EMBOSS tools in a graphical application
References
External links
*
{{Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics software
Free science software
Science and technology in Cambridgeshire
South Cambridgeshire District