Neuroinformatics

, Volume 5, Issue 2, pp 127–138 | Cite as

Interoperability of Neuroscience Modeling Software: Current Status and Future Directions

  • Robert C. Cannon
  • Marc-Oliver Gewaltig
  • Padraig Gleeson
  • Upinder S. Bhalla
  • Hugo Cornelis
  • Michael L. Hines
  • Fredrick W. Howell
  • Eilif Muller
  • Joel R. Stiles
  • Stefan Wils
  • Erik De Schutter
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Neuroscience increasingly uses computational models to assist in the exploration and interpretation of complex phenomena. As a result, considerable effort is invested in the development of software tools and technologies for numerical simulations and for the creation and publication of models. The diversity of related tools leads to the duplication of effort and hinders model reuse. Development practices and technologies that support interoperability between software systems therefore play an important role in making the modeling process more efficient and in ensuring that published models can be reliably and easily reused. Various forms of interoperability are possible including the development of portable model description standards, the adoption of common simulation languages or the use of standardized middleware. Each of these approaches finds applications within the broad range of current modeling activity. However more effort is required in many areas to enable new scientific questions to be addressed. Here we present the conclusions of the “Neuro-IT Interoperability of Simulators” workshop, held at the 11th computational neuroscience meeting in Edinburgh (July 19–20 2006; http://www.cnsorg.org). We assess the current state of interoperability of neural simulation software and explore the future directions that will enable the field to advance.

Keywords

Neural simulation software Simulation language Standards XML Model publication 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The workshop was supported by the European Commission IST-2001-35498 Neuro-IT-Net Thematic Network. Robert Cannon was supported by NIH NIDA grant DA16454 as part of the CRCNS program. Michael Hines is funded by grants NINDS NS11613 (NEURON) and NIH DC04732 (ModelDB). Padraig Gleeson is in receipt of a Special Research Training Fellowship from the United Kingdom Medical Research Council.

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Copyright information

© Humana Press Inc. 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Robert C. Cannon
    • 1
  • Marc-Oliver Gewaltig
    • 2
  • Padraig Gleeson
    • 3
  • Upinder S. Bhalla
    • 4
  • Hugo Cornelis
    • 5
  • Michael L. Hines
    • 6
  • Fredrick W. Howell
    • 1
  • Eilif Muller
    • 7
  • Joel R. Stiles
    • 8
  • Stefan Wils
    • 9
  • Erik De Schutter
    • 9
  1. 1.Textensor LimitedEdinburghUK
  2. 2.Honda Research Institute Europe GmbHOffenbachGermany
  3. 3.Department of PhysiologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
  4. 4.National Centre for Biological SciencesTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchBangaloreIndia
  5. 5.University of Texas San AntonioSan AntonioUSA
  6. 6.Section of NeurobiologyYale University School of MedicineNew HavenUSA
  7. 7.Kirchhoff Institute for PhysicsUniversity of HeidelbergHeidelbergGermany
  8. 8.Center for Quantitative Biological SimulationPittsburgh Supercomputing CenterPittsburgUSA
  9. 9.Theoretical NeurobiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium

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