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data

Transforming Big Data into Big Knowledge

Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins

Data

As technology allows us to tackle mind-boggling tasks like sequencing an entire human genome (or ten) in a few hours, or recording thousands of neurons chattering in the brain, or imaging an entire organ or body in super high-resolution, we are generating enormous quantities of data. I’m talking enormous quantities—think tera-, peta-, and even exa-bytes. The challenge presented by this revolution is the need to develop and implement hardware and software that can store, retrieve, and analyze this mountain of complex data—and transform it into knowledge that can improve our understanding of human health and disease.