An Extensible Resource for Genomic Analysis and Petascale Storage

Weinstein, Harel

Abstract

This application is for the acquisition of an extensible Resource for Genomic Analysis and Petascale Storage (eRGAPS) instrument: a two petabyte data store tightly coupled to a data analysis computing cluster specifically designed to support genomics-related research. The equipment will support a broad and diverse consortium of investigators (COI) whose NIH funded research projects are either entirely dependent on, or would benefit substantially from, its capabilities. The equipment will also make possible data-intensive research within the Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) and the institutions affiliated with it, as well as through two shared core facilities (the Genomics Resources Core and the Epigenomics Core), which collectively serve over 80 PIs (nearly all NIH-funded). The scope, breadth and depth of the science represented by the research of the instrumentation's COI are remarkable: they range from lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, prostate, colon and lung cancers and inflammation, AIDS and immune diseases, to birth defects and neurodegeneration, and to cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric disorders. Thus, the research is supported by several NIH institutes and centers, including NCI, NINDS, NHLBI, NCRR, NICHD, and NIMH as well as the Office of the Director. Recognizing that it is impractical for individual laboratories to manage the equipment necessary for data storage and analysis at the petascale, we propose to meet this need with the dedicated, professionally managed eRGAPS. This instrument will facilitate rapid research protocol development and reanalysis of primary datasets, will promote collaboration among researchers and facilitate extramural sharing of large, high-quality datasets. The instrumentation will be housed, maintained, and managed technically in the Institute for Computational Biomedicine (ICB) that is directed by the PI of this application, and will be integrated into a high-performance research-oriented computational infrastructure. Technical administration and management will be handled by the Technology Management Team (TechMT) of the ICB, currently comprising a highly skilled staff of five experts who develop and maintain advanced computational capabilities. Scientific and operational oversight of the proposed equipment will be the charge of the PI, supported by a Management and Advisory Committee (MAC) that he will chair and comprised of both Major and Minor eRGAPS users, as well as outside-COI member with appropriate experience. The institution has committed significant resources, including cost sharing, to this instrument that wil function as an essential tool for basic and translational biomedical research and information sharing.