E-neuroscience: challenges and triumphs in integrating distributed data from molecules to brains

Imaging, from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to localization of specific macromolecules by microscopies, has been one of the driving forces behind neuroinformatics efforts of the past decade. Many web-accessible resources have been created, ranging from simple data collections to highly structured databases. Although many challenges remain in adapting neuroscience to the new electronic forum envisioned by neuroinformatics proponents, these efforts have succeeded in formalizing the requirements for effective data sharing and data integration across multiple sources. In this perspective, we discuss the importance of spatial systems and ontologies for proper modeling of neuroscience data and their use in a large-scale data integration effort, the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN).