Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15, 7158-7182; doi:10.3390/ijms15057158 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Molecular Sciences ISSN 1422-0067 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms Review Nanoinformatics: Emerging Databases and Available Tools Suresh Panneerselvam and Sangdun Choi * Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Korea; E-Mail:
[email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +82-31-219-2600; Fax: +82-31-219-1615. Received: 17 February 2014; in revised form: 28 March 2014 / Accepted: 9 April 2014 / Published: 25 April 2014 Abstract: Nanotechnology has arisen as a key player in the field of nanomedicine. Although the use of engineered nanoparticles is rapidly increasing, safety assessment is also important for the beneficial use of new nanomaterials. Considering that the experimental assessment of new nanomaterials is costly and laborious, in silico approaches hold promise. Several major challenges in nanotechnology indicate a need for nanoinformatics. New database initiatives such as ISA-TAB-Nano, caNanoLab, and Nanomaterial Registry will help in data sharing and developing data standards, and, as the amount of nanomaterials data grows, will provide a way to develop methods and tools specific to the nanolevel. In this review, we describe emerging databases and tools that should aid in the progress of nanotechnology research. Keywords: biomedical informatics; databases; molecular simulations; nanoinformatics; nanomedicine; nanotechnology; QSAR; text mining 1. Introduction Nanotechnology enables the design and assembly of components with dimensions ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm) [1]. The word nano, which is derived from the Greek word for dwarf, has been part of the scientific nomenclature since 1960 [2].