Modern biological research requires an advanced intellectual and physical infrastructure focused around biological computation and bioinformatics. This area of research, although it represents a fundamental scientific discipline, cuts across dozens of existing basic science and clinical departments at the School of Medicine. The school has had a need for a highly visible administrative home for bioinformatics research activities, especially those closely related to the analysis of genomic and proteomic data. The structures designed to guide these needs must bring together the strengths already at hand to build critical mass while at the same time promoting interdisciplinary cross-communication across the many existing scientific disciplines, especially those related to systems biology.

 

The Center has established three divisions which will be tasked with existing core consolidation where appropriate, program development and faculty recruitment consistent with developing the School of Medicine strategic plans.

 

Division of Proteomics and Genomics

The mission of the Division of Proteomics and Genomics is to support research in protein and gene expression analysis, protein and gene modifications, and protein interactions in a wide variety of biological contexts. The division also develops new tools in Proteomics and Genomics research. This includes multiple Proteomics Cores to support these activities.

 

Division of Bioinformatics

The mission of the Division of Bioinformatics is to support interdisciplinary research and training in many areas of bioinformatics including analysis of DNA and protein sequences, protein interaction networks, linkage and association studies for simple and complex traits, and gene and protein expression profiles. This includes a Bioinformatics Core that provides research support for these activities.

 

Division of Macromolecular Structure

The mission of the Division of Macromolecular Structure is to support interdisciplinary research in new methods of structure determination, the combination of computational and experimental structural biology approaches, and developing and maintaining infrastructure for macromolecular structure determination. The Division will work closely and coordinate their activities with faculty and Departments in the University who use structural information to understand function as well as other Centers that provide leadership in Structural Biology and Biophysics.