Bioinformatics Services

Sydney Bioinformatics offers a range of professional bioinformatics services including collaborative research, expert assistance, advice, consultancy, customized data analysis, and software development.

A consultation involves staff of Sydney Bioinformatics meeting with life science researchers seeking advice or assistance in regard to bioinformatics. The purpose is to develop and understanding of the overall research program and the specific research questions requiring a bioinformatics approach, in order to suggest ways of approaching the problem.

Consultations are provided at no charge to staff and students of the University of Sydney and its affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes. A fee may apply for consultations provided to researchers from outside of the University of Sydney.

Please contact Sebastien Gerega (9036 3276) to arrange a consultation.

Sydney Bioinformatics staff and affiliated academics are also available to work on collaborative projects with life science researchers. These projects will usually be formed as a result of a consultation where a body of work has been identified that requires specific bioinformatics expertise.

A small team comprising a Project Officer and an affiliated academic with expertise in the particular area of bioinformatics will work collaboratively with the researchers to complete the piece of bioinformatics research in the context of the larger research program.

Examples of typical collaborative research projects include:

• conducting statistical analyses of transcriptomic or proteomic expression data. (For example, see Lin et al., PNAS, 101:12718-12723, 2004.)
• predicting the 3D structure of a particular protein and using the structure to help interpret or understand the biological function or mechanism of action of the protein. (For example, see: Arthur JW et al., Bioinformatics, 22:2192-2195, 2006.)
• constructing, analysing, and interpreting evolutionary relationships between genes and protein using phylogenetics. (For example, see: Ball et al., Gene, 396:203-213, 2007.)

Collaborative research projects will usually result in one or more publications with authorship shared between the life science researchers and the Project Officer and academic contributing to the project.

A fee is charged to recover the costs of completing the project. Fees for researchers affiliated with the University of Sydney or its affiliated research institutes and teaching hospitals can be found here.

For further information about collaborative projects, including fees for researchers not affiliated with the University of Sydney, please contact Dr Jonathan Arthur (9036 3132).

Sydney Bioinformatics is open to alternative ways of providing bioinformatics services and support to researchers. For example:

• some large or complex projects may be better suited as the subject of a PhD project through a co-supervised student, or alternatively demand the attention of a dedicated postdoctoral researcher or research assistant funded by a joint grant
• some larger institutes may have (or seek) their own bioinformatics staff they want to "link in" to Sydney Bioinformatics' wider network of academics and staff in order to draw on their expertise and receive professional support
• some smaller research groups may legitimately be unable to afford even the heavily discounted fees associated with collaborative research project

To discuss alternative options, please contact Dr Jonathan Arthur (9036 3132).