ITU / Research / Technical Reports / Technical Reports Archive / 2013 / PC Mini-Grids for Prediction of Viral RNA Structure and Evolution Final Report – The Danish Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation, grant no. #09-061856

PC Mini-Grids for Prediction of Viral RNA Structure and Evolution Final Report – The Danish Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation, grant no. #09-061856

TR-2013-166, Author: Jakob E. Bardram

PC Mini-Grids for Prediction of Viral RNA Structure and Evolution
Final Report – The Danish Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation, grant no. #09-061856

Jakob E. Bardram

April 2013

Abstract

This report describes the results of the PC Mini-Grids for Prediction of Viral RNA Structure and Evolution (Mini-Grid) project granted by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation, grant no. #09-061856. This project aimed at designing a collaborative, peer-to-peer software architecture for distributed bioinformatics algorithms, which makes research into RNA-based diseases like HIV, SARS, and bird flu more efficient than with current approaches. The project was interdisciplinary and involved researchers from computer science, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and nanotechnology. The partners involved the IT University of Copenhagen (ITU), the Department of Molecular Biology (DMB), the interdisciplinary nano-science centre (iNANO) at the University of Aarhus (AU), and CLC bio A/S (CLC).
In summary, we conclude that the MiniGrid project has been very successful. It has meet all of its objectives and expected results, and has been able to pull additional resources into the project. From a research perspective, all of the original research objectives of the project have been met and published in 7 journal articles, 8 peerreviewed conference papers1, and 2 technical reports. From a business perspective, the research has been used to accelerate and improve bioinformatics algorithms in the CLC bio products, and the improved RNA folding algorithm PPfold has been released as plug-in to the CLC bio desktop software. Regarding research education, the original goal was to educate three PhD students as part of the project. One has graduated, one is defending this spring, and the last student is finishing end of 2013. From a research management point-of-view, the project has had a very efficient management structure, and no significant problems or issues have arisen. Lessons learned are being incorporated into the management of current research projects at ITU.

Technical report TR-2013-165 in IT University Technical Report Series, February 2013.

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