We propose to establish the Molecular biology Information Resource (MBIR), a regional resource for the Texas Medical Center (TMC) area, which will provide convenient and cost-efficient access to scientific databases and associated software tools to the resource participants. The resource will provide services to the participants in the form of specialized software for use on distributed processors (workstations), customized programming, access to centralized databases and specialized equipment. The resource staff will prepare documentation and manuals and will conduct workshops to train users to efficiently use the resource. The resource staff will be continually developing new capabilities of the system in response to the constantly changing nature of molecular biology research. The long-term goal of the MBIR is to establish a research support system that will continually evolve in response to developments in both computer technology and molecular biology, and that will provide state-of-the-art computer tools and education to the resource users. The availability of this resource is expected to have a significant impact on the conduct of molecular biology research in our research community.
