This is a live blog from Neuroinformatics 2009.

Creative Commons is based around issues with data and copyright, trying to change the idea that not sharing is the default. Science Commons looks at the issues specific to science.

Semantic web in a nutshell; adds to web standards and practices encouraging, common naming, ontology development, expression in knowledge representation language, easy integration over multiple sources, works both inside and outside the organisational boundaries.

Why should you want this? Network effects, people can use their own skills, and combine knowledge from many different sources. Provides efficiencies at the global scale.

Copy and paste for the semantic web; a mashup with knowledge from Allen brain institute, and google API. Had to screenscrape Allen brain for this.

Trying to look for druggable targets in pyramidal neurons. Google provides too many results, so does pubmed. Shows complex SPARQL query over the knowledge from the web; crossing from MESH to gene to GO. This may not be the best query, but it’s none the less useful and will make biologists happy.

A brief jump into ontology making. Terms that mix up material and neurotransmitter. Uses example, peptide, neurotransmitter, hormone and ligand; all of these could be peptides, although not necessarily. Need to untangle these. In many cases, these have already been done (ChEBI). Move from English to OWL.

How to build consensus in ontology building — somewhat related to OBOFoundary rules. Another program is INCF program for ontology of neural structures.

Challenges — building bigger ontologies is hard. Barrier to sharing are a major difficulty.