A data-supported history of bioinformatics tools

Since the advent of next-generation sequencing in the early 2000s, the volume of bioinformatics software tools and databases has exploded and continues to grow rapidly. Documenting this evolution on a global and time-dependent scale is a challenging task, limited by the scarcity of comprehensive tool repositories. We collected data from over ~23,000 references classified in the OMICtools database, spanning the last 26 years of bioinformatics to present a data-supported snapshot of bioinformatics software tool evolution and the current status, to shed light on future directions and opportunities in this field. The present review explores new aspects of computational biology, including country partnerships, trends in technologies and area of development, research and development (R&D) investments and coding languages. This is the most comprehensive systematic overview of the field to date and provides the community with insights and knowledge on the direction of the development and evolution of bioinformatics software tools, highlighting the increasing complexity of analysis.