The Bioinformatics Resource Centers (BRCs) for Infectious Diseases program was initiated in 2004 with the main objective of collecting, archiving, updating, and integrating a variety of research data and providing such information through user friendly interfaces and computational analysis tools to be made freely available to the scientific community.
Main Areas of Focus
- To store, update, integrate, and display the following types of data and associated metadata: genome sequence and annotation, functional genomics, proteomics, metagenomics, other, “-omics,” epidemiology, surveillance, population genetics, genotype/phenotype association, antimicrobial resistance, antigenic expression, host-pathogen interactions, host response, basic and clinical
- To make available analytical resources, bioinformatics tools, workspaces and services for data analysis
- To offers bioinformatics training at the BRC sites, scientific conferences, or at the requesting institution or laboratory
- To collaborate with and support data generated by the scientific community including NIAID-funded programs such as the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR), Functional Genomics Program, Genomic Centers for Infectious Diseases, and Systems Biology for Infectious Diseases Research
- To respond rapidly to new and emerging pandemic threats
The six BRCs each specialize in a different group of pathogens. Pathogens examined by the BRCs include, but are not limited to, those in the NIAID list of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, which includes NIAID Category A-C priority pathogens. The BRCs specialize in the following groups of pathogens:
- All bacterial species
- All viral families including influenza virus
- All eukaryotic pathogen species including fungi
- Invertebrate vectors of human pathogens
The BRCs provide data, tools, and services related to the targeted groups of pathogens, which can be accessed through publicly available sites.