Consortium creates active molecule data standard

Published: 30-Sep-2011

Researchers can enter discoveries in a public template and shared database


Pharmaceutical firms and researchers have developed a standard for logging data on the active effects of particular molecules, so that such information can be publicly available.

A consortium led by the UK-based European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)-European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) has developed the Minimum Information About a Bioactive Entity (MIABE) standard.

The standard involves creating a public template and shared database into which researchers can enter any discoveries about molecule properties, whatever they are developing – from medicines, to food additives, pesticides, and cosmetics.

This can then be accessed and used by pharma companies and others, inspiring research and preventing the repetition of experiments.

‘Although pharmaceutical, biotech and academic groups generate a huge amount of data about the biological properties of molecules…this often goes unreported,’ said the European Commission.

The EC hopes that these ‘reporting guidelines for bioactive entities…mean the floodgates have now been opened and a stream of information about small molecules will become available.’

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