Managing Chaos: Lessons Learned Developing Software in the Life Sciences

摘要

In the life sciences, the need to balance the costs and benefits of introducing software processes into a research environment presents a distinct set of challenges due to the cultural disconnect between life sciences research and software engineering. The Institute for Systems Biology's research informatics team has studied these challenges and developed a software process to address them.rnLife sciences research is, by nature, borderline chaotic. Scientists tend to work in small, isolated, and focused groups, collaborating only loosely with others. The process of testing and refining (or discarding) hypotheses leads to a multitude of elaborate experiments-each of which differs, using a unique mix of techniques, technologies, and analyses. Research mechanisms constantly change; researchers are continually introducing new technologies and refining older technologies. Experimental results can lead to myriad conclusions, some of which are contradictory and others of which are ignored. This constantly shifting landscape means that scientific discovery can sometimes be perceived as a manic foraging exercise rather than a rational, hypothesis-driven process. One of the most confusing elements of science is that this jumble of experiments leads to the development of ideas that directly advance our understanding of living systems. That is, the system works, and works well.