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Assistance in the application of bioinformatics tools. The Core will provide support for bioinformatics software used for analyzing DNA (including whole genomes), RNA (including microarray analysis), and proteins. The Core will also operate a help-desk, provide web-based information on frequently-asked questions, and run training sessions for common applications such as BLAST searching, phylogeny reconstruction, and the analysis of microarray data. Where appropriate, these activities will be conducted in partnership with others, including the Biomedical Library and the Microarray Core.
Research and grant support. The Core will assist investigators in defining research questions in computationally accessible terms, and identifying and providing solutions to those questions. The core will also be available to help frame questions in the context of grant applications and renewals, and will provide appropriate support letters, cost estimates, etc.
Support for researchers with more extensive needs, including training. The Core will provide an environment where post-docs, graduate students and others can pursue specific bioinformatics research problems. For example, a laboratory group might wish to develop a program capable of identifying genes that are known (from on-line databases, including the scientific literature) to interact with genes/pathways that are overexpressed in a series of experimental microarray studies. This is envisioned as a collaborative effort, where bioinformatics resources, expertise and supervision will be provided by the core facility, while the biological questions (and means to evaluate results) will be provided by the research laboratory. Formal responsibility for students and post-docs will remain with the sponsoring laboratory; alternatively, the Core might help to oversee programmers hired by individual laboratories.
Infrastructure. The Core will negotiate and maintain licenses for desktop bioinformatics software, and make additional tools available to the community. Insofar as possible, these tools will be made available via a user-friendly web interface. Accounts and support on UNIX servers will also be provided for those who require more in depth analyses or access to high-throughput applications.
