The study of genomes is a critical and rapidly growing component in understanding the variability of life, biological functions, population dynamics, and how organisms respond to external influences. Genomics has qualitatively improved our ability to investigate biological dynamics and to make important discoveries that are the foundations for understanding topics such as environmental change, developing and protecting crops, and improving health outcomes. Genome analysis, however, can be a significant challenge for the practicing biologist. Many biologists who need to undertake genome science are not sufficiently expert in the relevant analytical tools, or the complex workflows required to get from the initial data generated by sequencers to a biologically-meaningful analyzed result. In addition, many do not have access to the advanced computing and large-scale storage resources required for processing and managing genomics data. The National Center for Genome Analysis Support (NCGAS) addresses these challenges by providing an integrated service comprised of expert bioinformatics consulting and educational services, hardened and optimized software available through easy-to-use web-based workflow management tools, advanced computing systems, and large scale data storage and publishing facilities. NCGAS services are particularly important in enabling important contributions from researchers from smaller institutions and other groups with limited access to their own resources.
NCGAS works through the following goals to fulfill its mission to enable the biological research community of the US to analyze, understand, and make use of the vast amount of genomic information now available: provide excellent bioinformatics consulting services to biologists doing research in the areas of transcriptome- and genome-level assembly; deliver genome assembly and analysis software on national cyberinfrastructure (CI) systems and provide tools for download and installation on campus CI resources; provide training, education, and outreach programs on genome analysis; improve the quality and functionality of bioinformatics software; enable the use of large-memory compute clusters designed specifically to support genome analysis; and provide mechanisms to store and distribute genome research data and products. These efforts will enable and accelerate scientific discoveries by researchers who make use of NCGAS services, lower barriers for scientists to create, execute, document, and share genomics analyses, help identify best-in-class genomics analysis software and provide improved versions of these software to the community, enhance the technology literacy of practicing scientists, and help grow the bioinformatics workforce. Outcomes of this project will be made available at https://ncgas.org and https://github.com/NCGAS.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
