Genome Canada is seeking proposals for research projects to address any aspect of bioinformatics1 and computational biology2 (B/CB) as it relates to genomics3 across all of Genome Canada’s sectors, i.e., human health, agriculture, aquaculture/fisheries, forestry, energy, mining and environment.
The ongoing influx of large amounts of data from ‘omics research underscores the need for new computational and theoretical tools in modern biology. These tools are essential for analyzing and integrating complex data sets and to better understand the associated biology. The lack of efficient B/CB tools and methodologies available to analyze these data sets and maximize the impact of the research is a major bottleneck faced by the genomics research community. Genome Canada has identified B/CB as a priority area with the goal to create an environment that supports the creation and evolution of enhanced B/CB tools and methodologies.
1 The term bioinformatics is defined here as the development and application of computational tools and approaches for maximizing the use of genomics data.
2 The term computational biology is defined here as the development and application of theoretical data-analytical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques in the context of the study of biological systems.
3 The term genomics is defined here as the comprehensive study, using high throughput technologies, of the genetic information of a cell or organism and its functions. The definition also includes related disciplines such as bioinformatics, epigenomics, metabolomics, metagenomics, nutrigenomics, pharmacogenomics, proteomics and transcriptomics.