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      Advancing Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Research Through Open Innovation Competitions
      21 Mar 2019Working Paper Summaries

      Advancing Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Research Through Open Innovation Competitions

      by Blasco, Andrea, Michael G. Endres, Rinat A. Sergeev, Anup Jonchhe, Max Macaluso, Rajiv Narayan, Ted Natoli, Jin H. Paik, Bryan Briney, Chunlei Wu, Andrew I. Su, Aravind Subramanian, and Karim R. Lakhani
      Crowdsourcing is a way for many individuals to address a common problem. This paper describes the design and outcomes of three crowdsourcing contests focused on algorithms for 1) clustering antibody sequences, 2) imputing gene expression measurements, and 3) performing fast queries on a particular dataset. Innovation through contests greatly improved the solutions available.
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      Author Abstract

      Open data science and algorithm development competitions offer a unique avenue for rapid discovery of better computational strategies. We highlight three examples in computational biology and bioinformatics research where the use of competitions has yielded significant performance gains over established algorithms. These include studying algorithms for antibody clustering, imputing gene expression data, and querying the Connectivity Map (CMap). Performance gains are evaluated quantitatively using realistic, albeit sanitized, data sets. The solutions produced through these competitions are then examined with respect to their utility and the prospects for implementation in the field. We present the decision process and competition design considerations that lead to these successful outcomes as a model for researchers who want to use competitions and non-domain crowds as collaborators to further their research.

      Paper Information

      • Full Working Paper Text
      • Working Paper Publication Date: March 2019
      • HBS Working Paper Number: HBS Working Paper #19-097
      • Faculty Unit(s): Technology and Operations Management
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      Karim R. Lakhani
      Karim R. Lakhani
      Charles Edward Wilson Professor of Business Administration
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