Lightweight technology stacks for assistive linked annotations.

Abstract

This report presents the findings of a project from the 8th Biomedical Linked Annotation Hackathon (BLAH) to explore lightweight technology stacks to enhance assistive linked annotations. Using modern JavaScript frameworks and edge functions, in-browser Named Entity Recognition (NER), serverless embedding and vector search within web interfaces, and efficient serverless full-text search were implemented. Through this experimental approach, a proof of concept to demonstrate the feasibility and performance of these technologies was demonstrated. The results show that lightweight stacks can significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of annotation tools and provide a local-first, privacy-oriented, and secure alternative to traditional server-based solutions in various use cases. This work emphasizes the potential of developing annotation interfaces that are more responsive, scalable, and user-friendly, which would benefit bioinformatics researchers, practitioners, and software developers.