Securing the future of research computing in the biosciences

Abstract

Author summary Improvements in technology often drive scientific discovery. Therefore, research requires sustained investment in the latest equipment and training for the researchers who are going to use it. Prioritising and administering infrastructure investment is challenging because future needs are difficult to predict. In the past, highly computationally demanding research was associated primarily with particle physics and astronomy experiments. However, as biology becomes more quantitative and bioscientists generate more and more data, their computational requirements may ultimately exceed those of physical scientists. Computation has always been central to bioinformatics, but now imaging experiments have rapidly growing data processing and storage requirements. There is also an urgent need for new modelling and simulation tools to provide insight and understanding of these biophysical experiments. Bioscience communities must work together to provide the software and skills training needed in their areas. Research-active institutions need to recognise that computation is now vital in many more areas of discovery and create an environment where it can be embraced. The public must also become aware of both the power and limitations of computing, particularly with respect to their health and personal data.

Pancreatlas: Applying an Adaptable Framework to Map the Human Pancreas in Health and Disease

“…Longevity is a universal challenge for database platforms; even successful, established resources require sustained funding to maintain and/or expand infrastructure, curate data, and provide users with tools necessary for the ever-evolving analysis paradigms to understand large datasets. 33 , 34 , 35 With Pancreatlas, we already track usage by collecting voluntary information from users (e.g., type of institution with which the user is associated), and we are collaborating with others in the community to leverage national federal funding as well as private support. One of FFIND's advantages is its ability to be deployed and maintained by a small team, relying on local, open-source, and/or commercial back-ends for data storage.…”

Pancreatlas™: applying an adaptable framework to map the human pancreas in health and disease

“…Longevity is a universal challenge for database platforms; even successful, established resources require sustained funding to maintain and/or expand infrastructure, curate data, and provide users with tools necessary for the ever-evolving analysis paradigms to understand large datasets [33][34][35] . With Pancreatlas, we already track usage by collecting voluntary information from users (e.g., type of institution with which the user is associated) and we are collaborating with others in the community to leverage national federal funding as well as private support.…”

A generalised mechano-kinetic model for use in multiscale simulation protocols

“…Many of these structures are being deposited into the Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB), which has seen an almost exponential growth rate over the past decade [6,7]. Whilst simulation techniques are being developed which utilise this data [8], further consideration is needed with respect to the meaning of physical models at these newly explored spatio-temporal scales [9], and to the practicalities of performing computer simulations of these almost microscopic objects.…”

“…Simulation techniques are being developed which utilise this data, especially at coarse-grained scales [7]. However, further consideration is needed with respect to the meaning of physical models at these newly explored spatio-temporal scales [8], and to the practicalities of performing computer simulations of these almost microscopic objects.…”