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The Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB) supports research and research training in areas that join biology with the computer sciences, engineering, mathematics, and physics. Toward this end, the center develops and manages programs in several areas of computational biology, such as:
- computational genomics,
- cell modeling,
- molecular modeling and simulation,
- biomedical software development,
- high-throughput data analysis,
- analysis of complex biological systems, and
- database design and enhancement.
The Center also collaborates with other NIH components and Federal agencies in developing policies in this area. Other Center activities include the support of multidisciplinary collaborations and of workshops, courses, and specialized meetings.
The center oversees NIH's Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative (BISTI) through its management of the BISTI Consortium (BISTIC). The goal of this initiative is to make optimal use of computer science and technology to address problems in biology and medicine. BISTIC is composed of senior-level representatives from the NIH institutes and centers and representatives of other Federal agencies concerned with bioinformatics and computer-based applications. (More information about BISTI and BISTIC can be found on the NIH Bioinformatics Web Site.)
News releases, frequently asked questions, media contacts, and more.
Information about current and past meetings, including reports on workshops and other events.
Program announcements, requests for applications, and other information for applicants.
For further information on the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, contact:
John Whitmarsh, Ph.D.
Acting Director, Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institutes of Health
45 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Phone: (301) 452-6446
E-mail: whitmarj@nigms.nih.gov |
NIH-Funded Center Debuts Biomedical Computation MagazineCharged with developing an innovative outreach plan for a $20 million biomedical computing center, a team of researchers at Stanford University in California has created a free, quarterly magazine called Biomedical Computation Review (BCR). The new publication is produced by the Physics-Based Simulation of Biological Structures Center, or Simbios, one of four National Centers for Biomedical Computing (NCBC).
What started as a sketch of a protein structure has led to a major honor. University of Washington biochemist David Baker and his colleagues recently received the Newcomb Cleveland Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science for their work showing that it’s possible to design and build a protein with a specific shape. With this ability to create a protein made to order, Baker’s research offers a promising new route for developing custom proteins that could be used as drugs or molecular machines to interrupt or enhance a particular reaction inside a cell.
Sept. 24, 2004—Four new National Centers for Biomedical Computing will develop and implement the core of a universal computing infrastructure that is urgently needed to speed progress in biomedical research. The centers will create innovative software programs and other tools that enable the biomedical community to integrate, analyze, model, simulate, and share data on human health and disease.
The centers, part of the National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research, were funded in September 2004. They are supported by 5-year grants projected to total more than $79.7 million ($15.7 million the first year).
Researchers involved in the four centers will use data collected in both the lab and clinic to build and test new computational tools. A key component of each center includes distributing the developed technology and training users.
June 21, 2004—A two-day symposium, "Biomedical Informatics for Clinical Decision Support: A Vision for the 21st Century," was jointly conducted by NIH's Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) and the Biomedical Information Science and Technology Consortium (BISTIC) at the Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, Md.
Full details and videocast links can be found at the symposium Web site.
Digital Biology Week
Nov. 3–7, 2003—Top experts in the biomedical sciences, mathematics, computer science, engineering, and other fields gathered in Bethesda, Md., November 3 to 7, for "Digital Biology Week"—a series of key meetings aimed at building a national network of researchers, whose common goal will be to harness the power of computers to solve today's most challenging problems in human health and disease.
Additional information about Digital Biology Week can be found at the following links:
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