Research Project
10204028
ABSTRACT. GENOMICS CORE. The Genomics Core (the Core), was established through Phase I of Epigenomics COBRE at the University of North Dakota and has become an indispensable resource for researchers throughout UND. The principal mission of the Core is to guide investigators through the design, acquisition, and analysis of large-scale epigenomics data. In addition to assisting with research projects, the Core facilitates management, storage and sharing of large-scale data sets generated by these research projects, consistent with NIH guidelines. The Core plays a vital role in educating the UND research community on using computational tools, incorporating big-data projects into biological laboratories and actively supports collaborations outside of the Epigenetics group. Due to the explosion of recent discoveries in the field of epigenomics as well as initial success of early Core supported projects, the Core has become a key part of Epigenetics research at UND. The demand for Core?s services is expected to increase further through the next several years. Phase II proposal builds on a solid foundation established in Phase I by focusing on sustainability of the facility in all three aspects of our operation. In the sequencing laboratory, there has been continuous growth of sample submission numbers. Phase II efforts will focus on standardization of library preparation procedures, improving faculty access to sequencing options, and developing a cost center that can support the day to day operations of the Core. The bioinformatics capabilities will continue to grow as well by expanding compute and storage resources and offering more data analysis pipelines as standardized services. To ensure effectiveness of our educational efforts, we will continue to spearhead our graduate student curriculum to keep up with the latest technologies in the field, and will offer workshops to faculty, postdocs and students across campus. These initiatives will help the Core expand its services in research and education, lower the barriers for new users to enter the field of Epigenomics and, taken together, will help achieve long-term sustainability of the Core and success of the Epigenetics Working Group.
