Science Solutions

Overview

Science Solutions directly partners with the Sanger Institute’s scientists 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 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 that would benefit the Sanger Institute
• areas where collaboration between teams in different research programmes, scientific operations, or informatics and digital solutions will help solve problems quicker
• opportunities to develop communications networks and approaches to support widespread knowledge transfer both internally and externally.

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.

Our Services

Science solutions has three main services:

• Developing bespoke bioinformatics algorithms and software analysis tools for the Institute’s scientific programmes. This is delivered by our High Performance Algorithm group who work directly with Sanger scientists at all levels across the Institute’s research programmes.
• Delivering solutions and data formats – such as samtools – for the global genomics research community to enable greater knowledge sharing and provide the foundations for future international collaborations. This is overseen by the Sequence Analysis and Management team who work in partnership with the Sanger’s informatics and research teams.
• Building and supporting the Sanger’s cross-institute informatics community of practice. This organisation and networks of knowledge sharing are being developed to speed knowledge transfer, reduce siloed working, and enable greater collaboration for mutual benefit at all levels.