This project, acquiring a transmission electron microscope (TEM) integrated with a high-performance parallel computing cluster (HPC), fosters innovation in accelerated 3-D image analysis interfaced with structural applications. Supporting interdisciplinary and bioinformatics research and education at four regional campuses of the University of Southern Maine (USM), as well as the University of New England (UNE), and the Maine Medical Center Research Institute (MMCRI), the infrastructure is specifically aimed at efficient tomographic image acquisition, 3-D reconstruction, data storage, and system modeling applications. It allows current investigators to collaborate effectively in complex interdisciplinary research involving coordinated use of: -Extensive data on genomics, -Transcriptional array analysis, -Proteomics and Metabolomics, -Population Biology, and Biodiversity survey research, and -Advanced environmental modeling. Benefiting numerous research projects in the region, the HPC support is expected to accelerate image acquisition, provide bioinformatics resources, and enable interdisciplinary investigation in complex systems.
Broader Impact: Synergistic educational efforts (GK-12 award) are presently being sustained as part of the Institute for Collaborative Research Experiences and Active Learning directed by a Co-PI. This infrastructure, along with the computational biology courses developed, provides training for students at USM, UNE, MMCRI. Moreover, the remote connection with the TEM and HPC facility enables projects in bacteriophage ecology and genomics in rural high schools.
