A poster prepared for the BecA Opening, Nairobi, 5 November 2010.

1. BecA Hub/ILRI Bioinformatics Platform
What is Bioinformatics?
Bioinformatics is the application of statistics and computer science to molecular biology. It is a rapidly developing branch of
Information Technology that seeks to exploit the wealth of DNA and other sequence data that has been generated in the last
decade. In short, bioinformatics is the key to understanding the molecule of life, DNA.
Bioinformatics offers tremendous opportunities and has great potential to underpin biotechnological solutions to agricultural
development constraints.
DNA - Information flow in the molecule of life
ATGATTATGGACACTTCTTTGAA
AAATAATGATGGAGCTTTAGAAG
CTGATAACAAAAATTATCAAGAT
TATAAAGCTGAGCCTGATAAAAC
Gene AAGCGATGTATTAGATGTTACTA
AATATAATTCAGTGGTAGATTGT
TGCCATAAAAATTATTCAACATT
TACATCTGAATGGTATATTAATG
AAAGAAAATATAATGATGTTCCA
GAAGGACCAAAAAATGATTATGG
ACACTTCTTTGAAAAATAATGAT
GGAGCTTTAGAAGCTGATAACAA
AAATTATCAAGATT
Cell Chromosome DNA DNA sequence RNA Protein Livestock, crops, micro-organisms
Some of the many projects using the BecA Hub/ILRI Bioinformatics Platform
BecA Hub/ILRI Bioinformatics Platform
The bioinformatics platform provides advanced
computational capabilities i bi i f
t ti l biliti in bioinformatics t all
ti to ll
Crop improvement
scientists at the BecA Hub and provides training in all
 Biotechnology applications to combat Cassava Brown Streak
aspects of bioinformatics.
Disease (CBSD)
 Genetic fingerprints for groundnut and pigeon pea The platform provides:
 Fine mapping of Striga resistance in sorghum  Access to major sequence databases (USA, EU, etc.)
 Marker-assisted breeding for drought resistance in sorghum  Access to specialized hardware and sophisticated
commercial and academic software
 Sophisticated data analysis capabilities
 Access to high performance co put g se ces a d
ccess g pe o a ce computing services and
grids (CGIAR, EU, USA, etc .)
Vaccines and diagnostics Research Institutes
Universities
 Integrated response system for emerging infectious diseases
in East Africa
 East Coast fever (ECF) recombinant vaccine development
 Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) diagnostic and European Molecular Biology Network Web interface
vaccine development EMBRACE Network of Excellence Direct access
 Development of new diagnostic assays and epidemiological e-Infrastructure (EELA, GEANT, EGEE)
Advanced Research Institutes (EU, USA) Broadband
surveillance of viral pathogens of livestock in Africa
Internet
Broadband
Internet
Bioinformatics capacity building
 Training workshops Direct access
 MSc and PhD student projects Web services
 Online training courses and training materials
Broadband
Internet
CGIAR – HPC Grid
BecA-ILRI – Kenya (64 CPUs) BecA Hub/ILRI
IRRI – Philippines (16 CPUs) Bioinformatics
ICRISAT – India (8 CPUs) Platform
CIP – Peru (8 CPUs)
For further information contact:
Dr. Etienne de Villiers (Bioinformatics Group Leader) e.villiers@cgiar.org
ILRI
INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE