# 11 Bioinformatics Shared Resource

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · 2021 · $370,078

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: BIOINFORMATICS SHARED RESOURCE (BISR)
The Bioinformatics Shared Resource (BISR) continues to provide cutting-edge support in bioinformatics and
computational biology for basic, translational, and clinical research programs throughout MD Anderson. Its
personnel include 15 faculty, 15 statistical analysts, 2 bioanalysts, and 10 software engineers, all associated with
the Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (DBCB) led by John Weinstein, MD, PhD. DBCB,
a leader in bioinformatics nationally and internationally, provides high-quality academic research, education, and
computer science as vital “infrastructure” for the BISR's support function. The BISR analyzes a comprehensive
spectrum of bioinformatic data types, including sequences (whole genome, whole exome, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq,
ChiRP-seq; bisulfite-seq, ATAC-seq, etc.); DNA, RNA, and protein microarrays; flow cytometry (fluorescence
and CyTOF); mass spectrometry (targeted and discovery for proteomics and metabolomics); siRNA, shRNA;
CRISPR/Cas9; histopathological and clinical images including CyTOF images; and marker-driven clinical trial
data. In addition, BISR faculty and software engineering teams develop professional-grade, user-friendly
visualization and analysis software for use at MD Anderson and worldwide. BISR faculty are currently lead
principal investigators on 4 NIH U24 grants and an NIH U01 grant for development, application, and sharing of
the software. The BISR is proactive in education, both for the next generation of informatics specialists (through
the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rice University, and Baylor
College of Medicine) and for biologists and clinical researchers who wish to learn elements of data science.
Bioinformatics assistance can be requested through 1) the BISR website, 2) weekly walk-in clinics, 3) informal
contact, or 4) a DBCB faculty member designated as a liaison for each department or program. As much as
possible, BISR analysts and faculty work longitudinally with particular departments and programs to maximize
continuity and domain expertise. Over the previous grant cycle, the BISR has supported >900 projects for 355
cancer center members (219 with peer-reviewed funding) in 64 MD Anderson departments, representing all 16
CCSG programs. Included were all 13 MD Anderson Moon Shots plus SPOREs, P01s, and R01s. The most
active BISR users were the Head and Neck Cancer (21% total usage), Hematologic Malignancies (15%), and
Lung Cancer (11%) CCSG programs. Peer-review funded investigators accounted for 85% of the usage, and
6% ($240,027) of total costs are requested from the CCSG. The BISR has no chargebacks, but users are
expected to provide support if their projects are large. BISR faculty averaged 10.3 authorships in 2017, with more
than 500 authorships over the 6-year period. BISR staff plus faculty have contributed to 865 papers since the
last review: 114 (13%) in journals with IF >2...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10212259
- **Project number:** 5P30CA016672-45
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** John N Weinstein
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $370,078
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1996-08-28 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10212259

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10212259, 11 Bioinformatics Shared Resource (5P30CA016672-45). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10212259. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*