OGSA-DAI is an open-source middleware designed to facilitate the access and integration of distributed heterogeneous data resources. It provides a readymade framework that promotes locality and product transparency to connect data resources to the Grid environment. This paper reports on the evaluation of OGSA-DAI for bioinformatics Grid applications by the BioDA project. We based our study on dialogue with OGSA-DAI and Grid project developers as well as through practical case studies involving current projects. We also reveal the challenges and strategies in developing an OGSA-DAI exemplar for one of these projects, BiodiversityWorld - a Grid-based problem solving environment that specializes in the exploration and analysis of patterns in global biodiversity. Finally, we summarize the key issues for projects considering adopting OGSA-DAI.