Catalan universities and research centres create a platform to promote training, research and tech transfer in bioinformatics

By Biocat

The vice-chancellors of three Catalan universities and representatives of 12 biomedical and biological and research institutes, together with Biocat, yesterday signed an agreement to create Bioinformatics Barcelona (BiB), a platform which it is hoped will turn the Barcelona area into an international point of reference in the field of bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics is an area of research in which computer science and IT are used to process biological data. The sponsors of the BiB share the view that there is a shortage of experts in this area, which they describe as a strategic science in that it makes sense of the vast volume of biological data generated. Hence this proposal to boost this area of specialisation, which is necessary in all areas of the life sciences and has a profound impact on fields as diverse as human health, the food industry, the environment, and biotechnology.

Thus, the BiB plans to use the critical mass of internationally renowned researchers in bioinformatics in the Barcelona area to promote high-level postgraduate studies, including the training of new professionals, and to develop scientific and transfer knowledge initiatives that could benefit from this framework for cooperation.

Today’s agreement is a commitment between the parties to have the strategic plan that will result in the formal constitution of the initiative finalised within six months.The formulation of this plan will be led by Ana Ripoll, head of the architecture and computer technology department at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), who will be its executive chairman. Ferran Sanz, head of biomedical informatics at the UPF, will be its scientific director.

Whilst the plan is being formulated, the BiB will be based on the premises of the BSC-CNS.

Signatoires to the agreement:

• Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech (UPC)
• Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)
• Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) 
• Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
• Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)
• Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (Idibell)
• Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau)
• IHealth Sciences Research Institute of the Germans Trias i Pujol Foundation
• Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)
• Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO)
• Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR)
• Barcelona Supercomputing Center–Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS)
• National Center for Genome Analysis (CNAG)
• Biocat

Driven by the desire to draw together talent and resources, the signatories to this document have left the door open to new participants, whether as promoters of the BiB (if they join within the next three months) or as collaborators (if they join after this period).

Press release (14 February 2013)