Science Solutions

Overview

Science Solutions directly partners with the Sanger Institute’s scientists at all levels to anticipate and supply their data science related needs to carry out their world-leading research. Our role is to seek out synergies and foster collaborations across the Institute.

Science Solutions is led by John Boyle. The department’s goal is to enable the Wellcome Sanger Institute’s researchers to conduct groundbreaking genomic science, and our teams work directly with all scientific teams across the organisation. Through close partnership we seek to identify opportunities:

• to bring in technologies and capabilities that would benefit the Wellcome Sanger Institute
• to support collaborations between teams in different research programmes, scientific operations, or informatics and digital solutions will help solve problems quicker
• to develop communications networks and approaches to support widespread knowledge transfer both internally and externally.

Science Solutions Teams

Science solutions consists of three teams:

• • The High Performance Algorithm team, who use both machine learning and bespoke algorithm development to deliver bioinformatics analysis tools for the Institute’s scientific programmes.
  • The Sequence Analysis and Management team who provide tools and techniques to the global genomics community. The team work as part of GA4GH to improve genomic analysis standards and tools, and are also responsible for the continued delivery of SAMTools.
  • The Innovation Support Team, who support different teams across the Sanger Institute with their data science related activities. This includes: developing the BioDev Network which helps fulfil both the Sanger Institute’s outreach aims and also brings new ideas and ways of working into the institute; and by collaborating directly with individual teams and coordinating activities to improve our data science capabilities.

Informatics and Digital Solutions

Science solutions is an integral part of Informatics and Digital Solutions (IDS). Through our strong relationships with the Institute’s researchers, we identify areas where our IDS colleagues can help the organisation. We work with:

• Platform Solutions – for the cutting-edge infrastructure the Institute uses
• Pipeline Solutions – for the data generation, formatting, and quality assurance needed for bioinformatic analysis
• Agile Change Delivery – for the overall management and coordination of IDS’ projects
• Enterprise Solutions – for the administrative, communications and knowledge-sharing tools
• Information Governance and Security – for ensuring best practices for data security and sharing.