Grid Computing Aids Biomedical Research at NCCU

North Carolina Central University, Durham NC

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Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Biomedical research is undergoing a transformation where traditional approaches are augmented with collobrations across organizations and high performance computing to conduct integrated analysis and data discovery with large datasets in distributed locations. This project provides a repository of phenotypic and genetic data gathered in a study of cardiovascular disease in the African American population, a first of its kind, and enables collaboration across three institutions. The project contributes to the development of GridNexus, an open source tool for scientific analysis deployed over a grid. The templates developed feature analysis of genetic and phenotypic data useful in discovering gene-environment interactions . The GridNexus templates create reusable scientific workflows with an easy to use graphical user interface, thus facilitating future genetic and phenotypic analysis in a grid computing environment. The templates are developed and validated with the repository of African American genetic and phenotypic data gathered in the cardiovascular study. The insights gained in the analysis of African American genetic and phenotypic data may contribute to a better understanding of the higher incidense of heart disease in African Americans.