Special Section on New and Emerging Technologies in Bioinformatics and Bioengineering

The new and emerging technologies in the area of bioinformatics and bioengineering have been discussed. The introduction of new imaging modalities and methodologies, such as diffusion-weighted MRI and functional MRI (fMRI) electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and microwave radiometry provides enhanced insight in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. The development of proteomics enables to use tandem mass spectrometry for the rapid identification and characterization of protein components in complex biological mixtures. The advances in functional imaging techniques, computer-aided image interpretation, and computational modeling enable to understand the functions of living systems and structure-to-function interrelations. Thoracic electrical impedance tomography (EIT) aims to reconstruct a cross-sectional image of the internal spatial distribution of conductivity from electrical measurements made by injecting weak alternating currents through an electrode array placed on the surface of the thorax.