The Bioinformatics Core Facility is mainly devoted to the analysis and support in the interpretation of data coming from high throughput disciplines. The integration of data coming from the Transcriptomics, Genomics, Proteomics, or Metabolomics fields requires huge efforts in the development of common languages, tools, and specific databases. Differential expression or classification studies in every “omics” field usually face two big challenges: the high dimensionality and the small number of samples, and these are the more frequent type of studies undertaken at our Platform. Furthermore, biomedical research is frequently aimed at understanding very complex biological problems for the discovery of specific biological markers.  It is then necessary to use sophisticated tools with complex statistical methodologies to derive information in the usual conditions of high-throughput experiments. We mainly use Bioconductor Project packages together with other complex tools to integrate databases information (i.e. Ingenuity, Partek). At present, we are involved in projects of the emerging field of Systems Biology, aimed at analyzing and integrating data from the entire “omics” fields to ultimately create working models of entire biological systems.

Our fundamental tasks are: Consultancy; Intensive analysis of “omics” technologies data in collaborative settings; Administration of Bioinformatics resources; and Development of new tools and customized Databases.

Services and technologies:

-Consultancy and Analysis : counselling in experimental design; low-level and quality control analyses; orientation on biostatistical resources; assistance in tools utilisation; high-level intensive analysis of “omics” technology data in different settings; interpretation of results

-Administration of Bioinformatics resources and Development of new tools: access to proprietary computer resources on Linux servers (especially in NGS projects); software management; development of customised tools and databases, particularly in web settings

-Dissemination: organization of courses, seminars and workshops on bioinformatics news and tools