Faculty Research Project

Semantic Web for Healthcare and Life Sciences

Primary Investigator: Dr. Nazar Zaki

This project is funded by ICT for the amount of AED 1,103,000.  There are a large number of biological databases publicly available for scientists in the web. These databases are in a wide variety of formats. Therefore, integration and querying of biological databases can be facilitated by techniques used in semantic web. However, exploratory searches need customized solutions, especially when multiple databases are involved. This process is cumbersome and time consuming for those without a sufficient background in computer science. In this context, Dr. Nazar Zaki and his research team has developed BioCarian, an efficient and user-friendly method for scientists to conduct searches of biological databases in a more targeted and less time-consuming way by capitalizing on a concept known as the Semantic Web, with its design allowing it to support both novice and advanced users. BioCarian is accessible via http://www.biocarian.com.