title: The Network Library: a framework to rapidly integrate network biology resources.
abstract: Much of the biological knowledge accumulated over the last decades is stored in different databases governed by various organizations and institutes. Integrating and connecting these vast knowledge repositories is an extremely useful method to support life sciences research and help formulate novel hypotheses.
  
  
  
  We developed the Network Library (NL), a framework and toolset to rapidly integrate different knowledge sources to build a network biology resource that matches a specific research question. As a use-case we explore the interactions of genes related to heart failure with miRNAs and diseases through the integration of 6 databases.
  
  
  
  The NL is open-source, developed in Java and available on Github (https://github.com/gsummer).
  
  
  
  georg.summer@gmail.com.
authors: CARIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands TNO, Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: Summer
authors: EdgeLeap B.V, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Kelder
authors: EdgeLeap B.V, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Marijana
authors: M
authors: Radonjic
authors: CARIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: van Bilsen
authors: TNO, Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors: Suzan
authors: S
authors: Wopereis
authors: CARIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Stephane
authors: S
authors: Heymans
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051188:Knowledge Bases; D012984:Software