Since its founding in 1997, the International Society for Computational Biology, Inc. (ISCB) has emerged as the leading professional society for participants in the field of computational biology and bioinformatics. This diverse group includes researchers, practitioners, technicians, students, and suppliers. ISCB serves its global membership community by:
- Collating and distributing information about research, education, careers, and funding opportunities
- Recognizing and rewarding outstanding scientific contributions;
- Providing affordable platforms to present research, as well as discounts for high-quality journals and books;
- Supporting topical and regional communities of interest;
- Offering opportunities for professional development and leadership;
- Providing a forum for networking and collaboration; and
- Promoting, representing, and advocating for the field using its influential voice in conversations with governments and the agencies responsible for scientific funding
ISCB Official Conferences
ISCB recognizes that in-person interactions add fundamental value by facilitating collaboration and learning. ISCB furthers this endeavor by hosting 6+ annual conferences across the globe, including our flagship meeting Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB). ISMB is both the longest running and largest conference in computational biology and bioinformatics. The offerings ensure that ISCB members have access to conferences ranging from intimate scientific gatherings to large, multidisciplinary meetings showcasing cutting edge research.
Annual Flagship Meeting:
- Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB)
ISCB-continent:
- ISCB-Africa (since 2009)
- ISCB-Latin America (since 2010)
- ISCB-Asia (since 2011)
ISCB-topical:
- Next Generation Sequencing (since 2013)
- RECOMB/ISCB Regulatory and Systems Genomics (since 2012)
ISCB-regional:
- Rocky (since 2003)
- GLBIO (since 2011).
In addition to our official meetings, ISCB’s affiliation with many smaller conferences (e.g., RECOMB) provides our members with a breadth of options at a discounted price.
ISCB Communities of Special Interest (COSIs)
ISCB envisions facilitating deeper connections amongst computational biologists by further developing the Society as a year-round hub of online activity. The ISCB COSIs and ISCBconnect web communities will allow members to share information, hold meetings, and discuss ideas “long distance” via virtual meeting places and virtual networks.
Communities of Special Interest (COSIs) are built around either major research themes within computational biology and bioinformatics, or important activities such as networks of training, mentoring, or financial support.
Affiliated Groups
The global dispersion of computational biology and bioinformatics has inspired scientists everywhere to form regional groups, institutes and online networks. The ISCB Affiliates Program provides a link between the Society and these self-supporting organizations, with a focus on sharing news and information to help each organization grow and thrive. Visit https://www.iscb.org/affiliated-groups for more information.
Student Council
ISCB is dedicated to supporting rising generations of computational biologists. With students and postdoctoral fellows constituting one-third of the registered membership, the ISCB Student Council (ISCB-SC) is committed to facilitating opportunities for these young researchers. ISCB-SC is organized and run completely by students and postdoctoral fellows and provides educational and networking activities during ISMB and ISCB-continent meetings, as well as other significant activities and events throughout the year. Visit www.iscbsc.org for more information.
Education and Training
The ISCB Education Committee promotes worldwide education and training in computational biology and serves as a resource and advisor to institutions and industry interested in developing educational programs in computational biology. Our major initiatives:
- Curriculum Task Force seeks to define curricular guidelines for those who train and educate bioinformaticians.
- Training secondary school teachers and students to use computational tools to make biological discoveries and have held a number of workshops and provide resources for this community on our web pages.
- Workshop in Education at ISMB, ISCB flagship meeting. Recent topics have included “ unlocking the super teacher inside you - Becoming competent in delivering bioinformatics training", "The Online World of Bioinformatics Education", and, "Bioinformatics Training for Diverse Audiences: Biomedical Informatics, Clinical Audience, and the Public".
- Applied Knowledge Exchange Sessions at ISMB. Recordings available complimentary at on ISCBtv.
ISCB Official Journals and Book Series
ISCB/Oxford University Press (OUP) Bioinformatics Advances
Oxford University Press (OUP) Bioinformatics
Home of the ISMB Conference Biology Proceedings, Bioinformatics is the leading journal in its field and publishes the highest quality scientific papers and review articles of interest to academic and industrial researchers. Its main focus is on new developments in genome bioinformatics and computational biology. Members enjoy a discount on subscriptions to the journal.
F1000Research Bioinformatics Gateway
TheF1000 Reserach Bioinformatics Gateway publishes a range of research formats in one centralized channel. Articles based upon the research presented at select official and affiliated conferences will be published using F1000Research’s immediate publication and transparent peer review model. This model allows publication without limitations on article size and type, or initial judgments on potential impact. ISCB members enjoy discounts on publishing.
ISCB-Springer Book Series
Sponsored by ISCB, the Computational Biology series publishes the very latest, high-quality research devoted to specific issues in computer-assisted analysis of biological data. The main emphasis is on current scientific developments and innovative techniques in computational biology (bioinformatics), bringing to light methods from mathematics, statistics and computer science that directly address biological problems currently under investigation. Members enjoy a 25% discount on books!