European Cancer Researchers Failing to Use Research Tools

A survey of European cancer researchers undertaken by the European Association for Cancer Research shows a widespread lack of use of caBIG research orientated tools in Europe. The cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) was launched in 2003 by the US National Cancer Institute with the aim of connecting research teams through the use of shared infrastructure and software to collect, analyse and share data.

The intention was to overcome the “silo-like” nature of research where individual labs and institutes worked in isolation, each collecting and interpreting data using a unique language of their own. Although CaBIG is primarily a US-based endeavour the European Association for Cancer Research conducted an online survey in January 2011, funded through FP7, to identify the penetration of the caBIG project into European laboratories...