IBM Partners With Missouri on Genomics Research

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IBM, today, announced a new life sciences research initiative and partnership with the University of Missouri.  The eventual goal of the partnership is to create a regional cloud computing environment geared towards genomics research.

IBM logoThis collaboration with IBM provides our researchers, and those being trained to become tomorrow’s researchers and educators, access to critical high performance computing resources needed to process massive data sets and apply increasingly more sophisticated bioinformatics tools and technologies,” said Gordon Springer, associate professor in the MU Computer Science Department and scientific director of the University of Missouri Bioinformatics Consortium. “The availability of these resources will enable discoveries that will benefit mankind and the environment.”

The University of Missouri Bioinformatics Consortium, which will support the research initiative from the academic side, has already been developing DNA sequencing pipelines for use within the University of Missouri System and abroad.  In the first phase, IBM will deliver an iDataPlex system and associated software tools to the university computing infrastructure.  The second phase will involve research activities associated with the creation of a regional cloud environment.

IBM is excited to work with the University of Missouri on its important genomics research, to tap into the wealth of talent at the university, and to jointly develop a genomics cloud that could fundamentally change the practice of medicine as we know it,” said Elmer Corbin, director, University Alliances, IBM. “This project will not only benefit the University of Missouri, it will help establish the Midwest as a life sciences research hub.”

The joint IBM-MU research project is part of an IBM Shared University Research Award. IBM’s Shared University Research Award program strives to connect the research and researchers at universities with IBM Research, IBM Life Sciences, IBM Global Services and IBM’s development and product labs.  For more info, read the full release here.