The Baylor College of Medicine Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases (GCID) proposal seeks to provide a comprehensive, large scale genomics program for NIAID with the goal of enhancing our understanding of host and microbiome interactions related to infectious disease genomics. Large heterogeneous datasets will be evaluated and characterized using new and proven analytical methods to further our understanding of how polymorphisms (host or microbe) contribute to mechanisms of pathogenesis. The resultant data will be used in the development of new tools to diagnose, prevent and treat infectious diseases. As an integral component of the BCM Genomics Centers for Infectious Disease, the Data Management, Analysis and Resource Dissemination (DMARD) Core will be responsible for supporting the program by managing sample tracking via LIMS, data management, data analysis and data dissemination for the four BCM GCID research projects: bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasite. The DMARD will also focus on bioinformatic tool developments that seek to optimize existing protocols, as well as create new workflows in response to new sequencing technologies and molecular techniques. For this effort we will bring together analytical expertise in human genetics and large scale genomics from the Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC) with microbial, viral, and metagenomics experience from the Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research (CMMR). Integrated analysis will be managed by senior faculty in the BCM Multi-Omics Data Analysis Bioinformatics Core working in close collaboration with project PIs. All resulting data and tools will be made available to the wider GCID and NIAID community via a custom web based analysis portal built in collaboration with DNAnexus, a commercial cloud-based genomics platform.!
