BOSC 2019, the 20th annual Bioinformatics Open Source Conference

Area of Science:

• Bioinformatics
• Open Science
• Computational Biology

Background:

• The Bioinformatics Open Source Conference (BOSC) is an annual volunteer-organized meeting dedicated to open source software development and open science principles within the field of bioinformatics.
• BOSC 2019, the 20th iteration, was integrated as a Community of Special Interest (COSI) within the larger Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB/ECCB) conference.
• The event spanned two days, featuring 46 talks, 55 posters, and eight Birds of a Feather sessions, highlighting diverse contributions to bioinformatics.

Discussion:

• Keynote speaker Dr. Nicola Mulder addressed the critical topic of 'Building infrastructure for responsible open science in Africa', emphasizing global collaboration and equitable access.
• The conference structure facilitated knowledge exchange and networking among researchers and developers in the bioinformatics community.
• Discussions likely centered on best practices, challenges, and innovations in open source tools and methodologies for biological data analysis.

Key Insights:

• BOSC 2019 successfully convened a significant number of participants, showcasing a vibrant community engaged in open source bioinformatics.
• The integration with ISMB/ECCB provided a broader platform, increasing visibility for open science initiatives in bioinformatics.
• The event underscored the importance of open science infrastructure, particularly in underrepresented regions like Africa.

Outlook:

• The continued success of BOSC highlights the growing importance of open source and open science in advancing bioinformatics research.
• The CollaborationFest, held immediately after BOSC 2019, demonstrated a powerful model for community-driven development and contribution to bioinformatics resources.
• Future BOSC meetings are expected to further strengthen the open science ecosystem in bioinformatics, fostering innovation and accessibility worldwide.