II-EN: Computational Enhancement of Analytical Metagenomics Systems

我们周围既有有害的，也有有益的细菌和病毒。科学家们使用一种称为宏基因组学的技术，通过从样本中提取DNA，并破译所有DNA序列的遗传密码，来描述这些生物体的特征。以宏基因组学为代表的科学方法是生成数据，并依靠大型、快速的计算机来解决复杂的问题。分析宏基因组学系统的计算增强奖通过计算基础设施和培训支持这项工作。智力优势：参与该项目的团队在开发宏基因组学数据的工具和分析方面处于世界领先地位。该奖项支持的计算基础设施将在未来十年继续保持其在该领域的领导地位。该计算基础设施也被圣地亚哥州立大学和加州、美国以及世界各地的其他大学的研究人员使用。基础设施使研究人员能够解决他们以前无法解决的真正困难的问题。大约500个核心计算机集群，包括具有大量内存和磁盘存储空间的机器，使科学家能够运行分析这些数据所需的大量计算，以保护我们的国家，开发新的治疗方法并了解我们的世界。更广泛的影响：该提案直接支持美国国家科学基金会的本科科学教育转型计划，该计划向圣地亚哥州立大学的本科生教授基因组学和宏基因组学，这是一所为西班牙裔服务的机构。在过去的六年里，通过提供像这里提议的尖端研究设备，SDSU提高了所有学生的毕业率。

There are both harmful and benign bacteria and viruses all around us. Scientists use a technique called metagenomics to characterize these organisms by extracting DNA from a sample, and deciphering the genetic code of all of the DNA sequences. The scientific approach typified by metagenomics is to generate data and rely on large, fast, computers to solve complex problems. The Computational Enhancement of Analytical Metagenomics Systems award supports this work with computational infrastructure and training.Intellectual Merit: The team working on this project are world-leaders in the development of tools and analyses for metagenomics data. The computational infrastructure enabled by this award continues their leadership in this area for the coming decade. The computing infrastructure is also used by researchers at both San Diego State and other Universities in California, the United States, and around the world. The infrastructure enables the researchers to tackle really difficult problems that they couldn't approach before. An ~500 core computer cluster including machines with lots of memory and disk storage space allows the scientists to run their massive computations required to analyze this data to protect our nation, develop new therapeutics and understand our world.Broader Impacts: This proposal directly supports an NSF Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science program that teaches genomics and metagenomics to undergraduate students at San Diego State University, an Hispanic-Serving Institution. Over the last six years SDSU has improved the graduation rate of all students by providing access to cutting edge research equipment like that proposed here.