CNBi: the new Brazilian National Consortium for Bioinformatics.

PRESENTATION: The National Consortium for Bioinformatics (CNBi) is a multidisciplinary center dedicated to research, development, management and technical support on questions arising from bioinformatics. It was created by a joint effort between three laboratories from São Paulo state in Brazil: the Genomic and Expression Laboratory (UNICAMP), Applied Bioinformatics Laboratory (EMBRAPA/CNPTIA) and National Laboratory of Biosciences (LNBio), and is organized as a distributed center inside the mentioned laboratories. MISSION: As a national center for bioinformatics, CNBi´s mission is the generation of new biotechnological information and advanced methods of computer-based information processing. Moreover it intends to act in the field of genomics, proteomics (including protein structure and mass cryptography) and systems biology. In this way, CNBi brings together scientists from many knowledge areas, including computer science, molecular biology, genetics, mathematics, and physics, all of whom sharing a common interest. STRUCTURE: CNBi provides an advanced structure with powerful machines. Actually, there are several high-performance computational systems capable to analyze and simulate massive sets of data, very large storage devices to house major data collections, high-speed networking services to facilitate location-independent access and collaboration among investigators, software applications supporting research in bioinformatics; technical support staff. CONCLUSIONS: CNBi plays an important role in producing innovative research will high impact in scientific community, helping in the understanding of fundamental molecular and genetic processes that control any synthetic biological system or living organism, and how to change them. Moreover, this collaborative consortium intends to contribute in developing Brazil´s skill base in bioinformatics through training undergraduate or postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: National Consortium for Bioinformatics (CNBi) members are financially supported by several governmental research foundation, and are grateful to FAPESP, CNPq, EMBRAPA, UNICAMP and ABTLuS.X-meeting 2010