15) Automatic Synchronization and Distribution of Biological Databases and Software over Low-Bandwidth Networks among Developing Countries.

Sangket U, Phongdara A, Chotigeat W, Nathan D, Kim WY, Bhak J, Ngamphiw C, Tongsima S, Khan AM, Lin H, Tan TW.
Bioinformatics. 2008 Jan 15;24(2):299-301. Epub 2007 Nov 23.
PUBMED PMID: 18037613
Out link: Full-text
Impact Factor Year 2009: 4.926
No. of Citations: 2 (total): 0 (non-self) & 2 (self)

ABSTRACT :

Bioinformatics involves the collection, organization, and analysis of large amounts of biological data, using networks of computers and databases. Developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region are just moving into this new field of information-based biotechnology. However, the computational infrastructure and network bandwidths available in these countries are still at a basic level compared to that in developed countries. In this study, we assessed the utility of a BitTorrent-based Peer-to-Peer (btP2P) file distribution model for automatic synchronization and distribution of large amounts of biological data among developing countries. The initial country-level nodes in the Asia-Pacific region comprised Thailand, Korea, and Singapore. The results showed a significant improvement in download performance using btP2P - three times faster overall download performance than conventional File Transfer Protocol (FTP). This study demonstrated the reliability of btP2P in the dissemination of continuously growing multi-gigabyte biological databases across the three Asia-Pacific countries. The download performance for btP2P can be further improved by including more nodes from other countries into the network. This suggests that the btP2P technology is appropriate for automatic synchronization and distribution of biological databases and software over low-bandwidth networks among developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region. AVAILABILITY: http://everest.bic.nus.edu.sg/p2p/

This article has been cited by other articles/sites:

1. Ranganathan S, Gribskov M, Tan TW. Bioinformatics research in the Asia Pacific: a 2007 update. BMC Bioinformatics. 2008;9 Suppl 1:S1.

2. Ranganathan S, Hsu WL, Yang UC, Tan TW. Emerging strengths in Asia Pacific bioinformatics.
BMC Bioinformatics. 2008 Dec 12;9 Suppl 12:S1. PMID: 19091008