European Bioinformatics Institute opens Technical Hub

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• The Technical Hub, which forms part of the Cambridge biotechnology cluster, will be home to the ELIXIR Directorate - coordinating bioinformatics activities throughout Europe.
• Bioinformatics involves analysing large volumes of data about living things. Therefore, it is essential for tackling the serious challenges our society faces, from providing healthcare to an ageing population to securing our food and water resources.

Science and Universities Minister David Willetts said: “This new facility is the embodiment of our investment in big data and bioinformatics. We are not only ensuring that people will receive better services and resource security, we are also maintaining UK leadership in the global science race.”

• The £75 million worth of investment the sector received also supports technical infrastructure and equipment, enabling EMBL-EBI, which delivers data on genes and other molecules to researchers in industry and academia, to increase its capacity in data handling and storage.
• Prof Jackie Hunter, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council chief executive, said: “These state-of-the art facilities will assist our research community in finding solutions to society’s challenges faster than ever before.”