Bernd-Jürgen Freitag

Novartis Pharma, Switzerland

Dr Freitag was born 1950. In 1982 he gained a PhD in Organic Chemistry at Frankfurt am Main. He then participated in a BMFT project "Searching Online databases in a Chemistry Department" where he witnessed DARC and CAS going online with structure searches. In 1984 he joined Ciba-Geigy with the inhouse-database group. Since then he has worked with structure databases, from database to user interface level.

Work on user interfaces reflects the changes in technology:

• from the completely inhouse developed system IASS (access to an IBM system based on CAS Registry II via graphical terminals)
• over CESAR application based on MDL MACCS (terminal / terminal emulation)
• and CERES client/server application based on MDL ISIS technology
• to web-based applications like ChemInfo (multi-tier application developed at Novartis), either as single application with its own client or with the functionality used inside the new overall-system at Novartis, GPS Navigator (inhouse development).

Experience with databases includes the conversion of the inhouse database from CAS Registry to MDL format and merging of large databases (eg, Ciba & Sandoz at Novartis merger).