MJB1@phoenix.cambridge.ac.uk (02/07/89)
University of Cambridge Computing Service Molecular Biology Computing Research Unit A Molecular Biology Computing Research Unit (MBCRU) has been established by the Director of the University of Cambridge Computing Service, Dr. D.F.Hartley. This has been made possible by a generous donation of 12 Sun 4/110 workstations by Sun Microsystems. The workstations are being distributed, 6 in Biological Departments in the City Centre and 6 at the Addenbrookes Hospital Site. A Management Committee is being established for MBCRU and the Manager is Dr. M.J.Bishop. Future plans include the installation of fileservers on the City and Hospital sites with X.25 access to the Hospital machine for mail, file-transfer and terminal sessions (funding obtained), linking all machines by ethernet (funding largely obtained), and appointing a computer officer to maintain the fileservers, workstations and network, install molecular biology software and databases, and help users with programming (funding not yet obtained). The object in establishing MBCRU was to provide a suitable environment to exploit software developments from the US and to encourage the development of portable Unix based software for molecular biology in Cambridge. This complements the existing facilities under VAX/VMS. Distribution of the twelve workstations and project titles are as follows: In the City Biochemistry Howe & Henderson Protein transport and processing Laue Nmr studies of protein structure Botany Gray Structure prediction of membrane proteins Genetics Dover New genetic processes Evans Mouse genetics Zoology Friday Estimation of evolutionary trees At the Hospital Medicine Borysiewicz Immunology of virus infection MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Horsnell Image reconstruction and molecular structure Staden Sequence analysis MRC Molecular Genetics Unit Bishop & Brenner Physical mapping Bishop & Brenner Sequence comparison Pathology (Clinical Genetics) Ferguson-Smith & Yates Gene mapping The initiative is a pump-priming exercise and if the project is successful it is intended in due course to pass control of the Unit from the Computing Service to a suitable biological or clinical department. M.J.Bishop 6 February 1989
elliston@rob.UUCP ( Keith Elliston) (02/08/89)
I have a related question.... Is there any database available, that lists the available PD and Commercial sequence analysis software? I am interested in putting up the "BEST" system possible here, and would like to look into all the possibilities. If there isnt one... I would be interested in putting one together, with the help of the net. Just let me know.. Keith uunet!rob!elliston rob!elliston@uunet.UU.NET
kristoff@NET.BIO.NET (David Kristofferson) (02/10/89)
Christopher J. Rawlings has written a book entitled "Software Directory for Molecular Biologists" which was published in 1986 by Macmillan. I don't know if he plans to update this book, but it is pretty comprehensive. -- Sincerely, Dave Kristofferson BIONET Resource Manager kristoff@net.bio.net or kristofferson@bionet-20.bio.net