BIOINFORMATICS CORE PROJECT SUMMARY The Maine IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (ME-INBRE) Bioinformatics Core will support research in comparative functional genomics by providing essential consulting and training in bioinformatics. Biomedical research increasingly utilizes high throughput technologies, and the Core will provide the specialized expertise needed for managing, analyzing and interpreting large data sets. Expert Core staff will advise and/or collaborate with ME-INBRE researchers in the application of best practices in experimental design, data management, and state-of-the-art workflows for genomic data analysis, with a particular focus on rigor and reproducibility. Core personnel will also provide ME-INBRE Project Leaders access to and expertise in the use of appropriate cyberinfrastructure spanning local, regional, and Cloud computing resources. The Bioinformatics Core will leverage regional collaborations and cyberinfrastructure through the Northeast Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (NECC) that ME-INBRE cofounded with four other IDeA states to expand regional cyberinfrastructure and conduct collaborative cyber enabled research. Through the Northeast Bioinformatics Collaborative (NEBC), the Core will work with INBRE Bioinformatics Core staff in Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont on consulting projects to support Maine faculty and collaborate on delivering bioinformatics training to faculty and students. Regional cyberinfrastructure will be used for intensive computation and centralized data storage, sharing and backup. The Core will maintain and build upon its established bioinformatics training courses and workshops, which address audiences ranging from the undergraduate level to faculty investigators, and will continue to support the University of Maine’s Professional Master’s in Bioinformatics program and Bioinformatics Scholars Program, which provide valuable bioinformatics research training for students at ME-INBRE partner institutions. In summary, the Core will provide the intellectual and technical expertise and training in bioinformatics that ME-INBRE scientists need to accomplish their research goals.