Bioinformatics Support Program

The NIH Library Bioinformatics Support Program provides consulting, training, and resources to help NIH researchers further their understanding of the molecular basis of disease. This data-centered program provides software for the analysis of high-throughput data such as next generation sequencing data, as well as software and knowledgebases to help in the interpretation of the results of these analyses, especially pathways and genetic variants. Additionally, the Library provides three high-performance bioinformatics workstations optimized for analysis of high-throughput data.

What We Do

One-on-one Tutorials

One-on-one tutorials are offered for the bioinformatics analysis tools and databses that are hosted by the Bioinformatics Support Program. These tutorials are given at the program's high-performance workstations.

High-Performance Computing

Three high-performance workstations are available in the NIH Library. These computers are dedicated to high-throughput analysis and may be reserved online. Two have Windows7, 48-64 GB RAM, 8 cores, 2 TB storage, and one has Red Hat Linux 6, 512 GB RAM, 28 cores, and 24 TB storage.

Analysis Tools and Databases

Licenses for over a dozen applications and knowledgebases are purchased by the NIH Library for NIH staff to use in bioinformatics research. Resources cover both raw data analysis such as next generation sequencing data and further refinement of these results using pathway analysis, variant filtering, or other methods.

Classroom Training

Basic bioinformatics classes using open source software and public databases, as well as vendor-led training for NIH Library-licensed bioinformatics resources are offered through the Bioinformatics Support Program. Over 15 different classes are offered each year.

Consultations

Researchers can request consultations about such topics as:

• I have read files for RNA-Seq data. How do i get expression values?
• How do I make sense of a long list of differentially expressed genes?
• How do I write a BASH script to automate they typing of several UNIX commands?
  • Given a list of variants, how do I filter the known variants?

The program was established by an expert bioinformatics trainer, Dr. Medha Bhagwat. Learn more about bioinformatics work at NIH in the August 2009 issue, page 10, of The NIH Catalyst and from the November 2010 issue, page 3, of The NIH Catalyst