The national CINI (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale di Informatica) InfoLife laboratory fosters collaboration among researchers with an informatics background engaged in bioinformatics and related fields, working in synergy with their international partners. Research activities span a wide range of bioinformatics domains, from the development of specialized algorithms and efficient data structures to high-level data analysis and innovative visualization techniques. This special session focuses on the development and application of computational tools for bioinformatics data analysis. We welcome contributions describing novel software tools as well as significant extensions or improvements of previously published resources. Tools may be implemented as software packages in a variety of programming languages (e.g., R, Python, MATLAB), as web-based applications (e.g., Shiny, Dash), or as databases. While example applications or use cases may be included to illustrate functionality, the primary evaluation criterion will be the technical and methodological contribution of the tool itself rather than the application. Submissions presenting extensions of existing tools should explicitly explain how the proposed work differs from and improves upon the original implementation, including a clear description of new features, or methodological changes. Emphasis will be placed on methodological innovation, usability, reproducibility, open-source and effective visualization of complex biological analysis. The central question that each contribution should address is: “Why should a user choose this tool over existing alternatives?”