A Central Shared Computer Resource for Molecular and Cellular Biology

这项提议的目的是筹集资金购买一台VAX 6210计算机，以取代目前作为医疗中心中央计算机资源的VAX 750。这台中央计算机为医学中心几乎所有从事分子生物学研究的科学家提供数据库存储和计算能力。任何以确定DNA或蛋白质序列为重点的项目，并试图将这些序列与其他实验室获得的序列联系起来，都需要访问包含这些信息的数据库，以及快速可靠地利用这些信息的程序。共享资源的目标是加强现有服务并提供新设施，其中一些正在医疗中心开发中。这些资源包括新的数据库、用于分子结构可视化的工具，以及采用文件和计算服务技术的图像处理工具。因此，研究人员将能够探索从分子到细胞的所有层次的生物结构，这是目前医学中心无法提供的机会。PI和co -PI目前是计算机系统的主要用户，预计将来也将继续如此。他们共同致力于共享计算资源，并参与将提高其对医疗中心社区价值的项目。

The purpose of this proposal is to generate funds to purchase a VAX 6210 computer to replace the VAX 750 which currently functions as a central computer resource within the Medical Center. This central computer provides databank storage and computing power for nearly all research scientists in the Medical Center whose work involves molecular biology. Any project that focuses on the determination of DNA or protein sequences and seeks to relate those sequences to ones obtained by other laboratories needs to have access to a data bank containing this information, and the programs to rapidly and reliably exploit it. The goal of the shared resource is to enhance current services and to provide new facilities, some under development in the Medical Center. These resources consist in new databases, tools for the visualization of molecular structure, and image processing tools employing file and compute service technologies. Investigators will therefore be able to explore biological structure at all levels from the molecular to the cellular, an opportunity not available at present at the Medical Center. The PI and the Co-PIs are currently, and expect to continue to be major users of the computer system in the future. They share a commitment to a shared computing resource and are involved in projects which will enhance its value to the Medical Center community.