Information problems in molecular biology and bioinformatics

In this article we provide an overview of opportunities for research and practice in the domain of molecular biology by information and library scientists. We introduce the changing role of data and information in molecular biology, and how molecular biology is evolving from a technique‐ and technology‐driven science to an information‐driven science. We then describe the high‐level objectives of molecular biology and some broad classes of problems from an information perspective. We illustrate the high‐level objectives with examples of specific tasks performed by biologists. Finally, we provide some programmatic direction for information and library science research streams and insertion points.