The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) of the University of the Philippines (UP)
officially opened its Core Facility for Bioinformatics (CFB) last 14 April
2014. The event was highlighted with the ground-breaking ceremony for the
new PGC building at UP Diliman and a scientific symposium. PGC is a
multidisciplinary institution that combines basic and applied research for
the development of health diagnostics, therapeutics, DNA forensics and
preventive products, and improved crop, aquaculture, and animal varieties.
The Center was established to facilitate the translation of knowledge in
genomics into applications beneficial to society. The CFB aims to provide
local scientists and researchers with quality services for genome-scale data
generation and analysis.

Complementing the next generation sequencing services offered by its DNA
Sequencing Core Facility (DSCF), the CFB showcases high-performance
computing resources, hardware and software required in the efficient
analysis, management/curation, and archiving of massive amounts of data
derived from next generation sequencing. CFB also boasts of
custom-made/client-focused services such as the provision of software,
specialized databases or technical support for varied bioinformatics
analyses, and also the use and access to high-performance computing
resources.

The PGC currently has five research programs on health; agriculture,
livestock & fisheries; biodiversity; forensics & ethnicity; and ethics,
legal and social issues, as well as three core facilities: DNA sequencing,
and bioinformatics and biobanking. PGC will soon offer educational
workshops, trainings, and seminars in genomics and biotechnology.
Collaborations with the academe, government and private institutions with
similar thrusts in genomics-based applications such as health and medicine,
agriculture, biodiversity and forensics are welcome.

[www.bic.searca.org]