The Roots of Bioinformatics in ISMB

In 1988, Disney released Oliver & Company, their first animated movie to feature widespread use of computer-generated imagery (CGI). The use of CGI in films was entering the mainstream of Hollywood, and it marked one of the few places at the time that had a demand for artificial intelligence (AI) researchers and the large computing facilities to support them. Lawrence (Larry) Hunter had just graduated with a PhD in artificial intelligence from Yale, and was familiar with Hollywood, having grown up there. But rather than pursuing an AI career in cinema, Hunter went on to gather a small group of like-minded scientists, and together they established what has become the largest international conference in computational biology: Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB). Since its inception, ISMB has held meetings on four continents and published proceedings papers from researchers in 34 different countries. This year, ISMB celebrated its 20th annual international conference in Long Beach, California. Through interviews with many who played prominent roles in the formation of ISMB, we look back at the early days of the field from which ISMB was born. Their reflections provide insight into the early meetings, and the growth and maturation of both ISMB and the field it represents over the last two decades.