Developing a modern web interface for database-driven bioinformatics tools [Engineering in Genomics]

The bioinformatics revolution has resulted in the availability of numerous web-based tools to researchers. Developing bioinformatics tools as web applications carries several advantages over traditional desktop applications, the most important of which is accessibility. Web applications are platform-independent and can be run from any computer in the world with an Internet connection and a browser as opposed to desktop applications that require installation of client software compatible with the operating system of the computer. In addition to this, web applications can be updated instantly, requiring no action on the part of the user; updates to desktop applications require patches that must be installed by the user. For these reasons, bioinformatics programs are often integrated into web applications. Despite the prevalence of web-based