Genomics Core

University Of North Dakota Epigenomics of Development and Disease GENOMICS CORE SUMMARY Established in 2014 during Phase 1 of the COBRE Epigenomics of Development and Disease, the Genomics Core (GC) has become an indispensable go-to resource at the University of North Dakota (UND). The principal mission of the GC is to support original epigenomics research and foster collaborations within and outside of the Epigenetics Working Group (EWG). The GC provides expertise and technology for the bench (wet) and bioinformatics (dry) stages of projects from preparation of specimens for high-throughput sequencing to bioinformatics analyses of epigenomics data. The GC also facilitates management, storage and sharing of sequencing data including public access compliance. Finally, the GC educates the research community on incorporating big-data technologies into biomedical research. Based on the accomplishments of GC-supported research and the growth of its user base in COBRE 1 and 2, the demand for GC services is expected to further increase through the next several years. COBRE 3 will be dedicated to building on the foundation of COBRE 1 and 2 to accomplish sustainability in all three aspects of the GC’s operation. Aim1 will maintain the momentum for the wet laboratory services by improving reliability and cost-efficiency of sample preparation and access to improved technologies. Aim 2 will establish a Program Income charge system for bioinformatics services by offering the options of dedicated bioinformatician’s time and cloud-based data analyses platform. Aim 3 will increase the pool of external GC users by engaging investigators from nearby universities that lack genomics facilities as well as establishing collaborations with IDeA grantees and Industry partnerships. These initiatives will help the GC maintain its services tailored to the needs of users, lower the barriers for new users to enter the field of epigenomics and, taken together, help achieve long-term sustainability of the GC and success of the EWG.