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Date: 2 Feb 88 20:11:01 GMT
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From: MJB1@VMS-SUPP.CAM.AC.UK

Bulletin_# 69  From:  SEQNET  2 Feb 1988  Biocomputing Research in Europe
Date: 2 Feb 1988
From: SEQNET
Subject: Biocomputing in Research Europe

From: JF600@EARN.ALBNY1VX
To: tch2@UK.AC.CAM.PHX
Subject: From J.M.Carazo

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Dr.T.C.Hodgman
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Cambridge
U.K.
                                              Dr.J.M.Carazo
                                              New York State Health Department
                                              Empire State Plaza
                                              Albany, NY, 12201
                                              (JF600@ALBNY1VX.BITNET)
Dear Dr.Hodgman,

I have heard of you through the bulletin #51 of the BIOTECH FORUM
in which you presented a Report on the IUSC Workshop.

As you may know, the Research Council of Spain
is organizing in Madrid a national biotechnology resource called
Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia. A Biocomputing Research Unit
has been created as part of this center and
I have been appointed as its Coordinator.

Currently the Unit is in a definition state. Both hardware and
software will be bought during the last half of this year and,
evidently, I am trying to get as much information as possible
about how other Biocomputing units are organized, which software
they use, which hardware have been found most suitable for each
application (and why), ... and a number of questions like that.

As you commented a number of times in your IUSC report, coordination
is a key issue in order to avoid duplications
and to enhance software compatibility.
In this context I would appreciate very much any kind of
information you could send me.
Particular topics I am interested in are

1) A list of the software used, both at the level of operating
systems and compilers (anybody using UNIX and C?), and at the level
of applications.

2) I inted to look at the hardware from the point of how good
is the implementation of the software that I really need in a
particular system architecture. I would then appreciate any suggestion
you might have about which hardware you stimate is better
for this application.

3) From your report I see that there are, at least, Biocomputing
Units (or something equivalent) in Edinburg and somewhrere in
Germany (I assume that besides the EMBL), Holland and Ireland.
Could you send me the addresses of the people in charge of
them? (electronic as well as postal, please).

4) Last but not least. Could you send me contact addresses of any
national or international comitee engaged in the coordination
of Biotechnology software? (and hardware, if any).

I really see that I am asking you too many things, I thank
you in advance for any help you might be able to give me.

Sincerely,..............................Jose Maria Carazo

====================================================================
Dear Dr.Carazo,

Dr. Hodgman has asked me, as organiser of the IUSC Workshop,
to reply to you.

I will also post your letter on the SEQNET Bulletin Board in the hope
that others at UK and European Centres will contact you.
SEQNET is a bulletin board for molecular biologists in Europe and operates
from Cambridge University (SEQNET@UK.AC.CAM.PHX).

In the UK there are many universities engaged in molecular biology
computing, though a fewer number are doing research into problems
of new techniques and algorithms.  Most centres use VAX/VMS and
the Staden, UWGCG and NBRF software for routine applications.
There are research groups, eg. at Oxford and ICRF using Unix on Suns.
There is an interest in parallel computing in Edingburgh.

In Cambridge, the University has a VAX 8350 running VMS and the MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology has a VAX 8600 also running VMS.
Unix is not much used.  There is a teaching laboratory with 7 IBM
PC AT machines and an IBM PS/2 Model 60 which are used for DNA
sequence analysis.  The PCs are connected to the VAX by an X.25
network, and an ethernet is planned.

As far as national and european organisation goes I suggest you contact
Biotechnology Directorate,
Science and Engineering Research Council,
Polaris House,
North Star Avenue,
Swindon SN2 1ET
UK

and
B.J.W.M. Niewenhuis
Commission of the European Communities
Division of Biotechnology
200 rue de la Loi
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium.

                                                   Yours sincerely,
                                                   Martin Bishop.
                                                   University of Cambridge
                                                   Computer laboratory
                                                   New Museums Site
                                                   Pembroke Street
                                                   Cambridge CB2 3QG
                                                   UK.
                                                   Tel. 0223-334732
                                  E-mail mjb1@uk.ac.cam.phx