bioinformatic analysis - (Feb/14/2010 )

Dear friends
Ive been using imany online bioinformatic tools for my research. I would like to know how far it is safe in using such online tools..
also is it possible to safeguard the results of such analysis?

Well, most of these are published in peer-reviewed journals, so it's pretty 'safe' to use them. Just make sure, that what you use for you queries is maintained properly or reasonably new. Some things are basically rotting on the net without any further development ever since they have been put online.

As for the results of such analysis: all of this is your problem. That sounds a bit harsh, bit it's like using a published wet lab protocol. If you don't know what it's all about, just use it and believe everything that's coming out of it without further reasoning, then things are bound to go wrong.
Just make sure you know what you're doing and reflect on your results - basically follow the basic of research.
just my 5 cents....good luck with your analysis

dedee

chn09 on Feb 15 2010, 05:27 AM said:

If by "safeguard the results of such analysis" you mean "protect your query and the results from prying eyes" the short answer is no. When you use such an online tool, you usually have no idea what is being logged at the server end. Also, unless the connection is encrypted, there's nothing to stop someone from siphoning off your data as it is returned to you, if someone was really trying to crack your lab.

If there is a stand-alone version of the program(s) available, you can run them locally (i.e. not over the internet but completely on your own computer), and then your data is as safe as your computer is, which is dependant on the firewalls and security protocols you have in place to protect your own computer from intrusion from the outside.