Computing Infrastructure to Advance Biomedical Research

State University Of New York At Buffalo, Buffalo NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purchase of high-performance computing and storage infrastructure is proposed to advance biomedical research leading to an improved understanding of disease and advances in healthcare. This computational resource will initially be dedicated to the following diverse research areas: (1) the development of improved methods for large scale molecular electronic structure computations with application to protein chemistry and pharmaceutical drug design, (2) high-throughput NMR-based structural genomics as part of the NIH funded Protein Structure Initiative 2, (3) comparative bacterial genomics applied to pathogens responsible for invasive MRSA infections, the incidence of which has surpassed those of prevalent pathogens such as Haemophilus influenza and Streptococcus pneumonia, (4) regulatory genomics aimed at understanding the biochemistry of gene regulation in DNA, a fundamental process that plays key roles in both normal development and in disease, (5) understanding the pathophysiology of intracranial aneurysms, the rupture of which have catastrophic consequences with high morbidity and mortality, (6) understanding the effect of fluid forces, cell signaling pathways and cell-surface adhesion molecules on human blood neutrophil and platelet function, (7) developing new PET and SPECT medical imaging technologies for studying processes at the molecular level in living subjects, (8) clinical and basic scientific research to improve methods of cancer prevention and early detection, study quality of life issues and maximize translational opportunities that improve the clinical management, outcomes and quality of life of cancer patients with gynecologic malignancies, (9) establishment of a bioinformatics infrastructure for conducting disease and medication management research in areas that seek to foster health information and health care technology innovation, (10) high-throughput preparation of membrane-associated proteins and protein- protein complexes for structural analysis via single crystal X-ray diffraction, and (11) computational analysis of complex pharmacological systems with the objective of understanding and inter-relating how pharmacological agents interact at molecular, cellular, organ and whole body levels. The proposed instrument will be used by researchers at three well-established biomedical research organizations, namely, the University at Buffalo<s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics &Life Sciences, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (the oldest cancer research center in the U.S.), and the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (home to Nobel Laureate Dr. Herbert Hauptman), which have a long history of collaboration and are all located within one block in downtown Buffalo, NY.)