Brian Foley
Dept. of Microbiology and
Molecular Genetics
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
(802) 656-1116
B_FOLEY at UVMVAX.UVM.EDU
Dear sir;
Our department is rapidly expanding and we are soon to move into a
newly constructed building. As part of our expansion of core facilities
shared by many researchers in our department, we wish to set up a genetic
sequence analysis facility. Our department currently owns several PCs
(including an IBM PS/2 model 60 and a MAC IIcx with CD-ROM) and a Silicon
Graphics Iris 4D/340VGX complete with 3D molecular modelling software.
We have GenBank and software from IBI, some shareware, and access to the
university VAX with the University of Wisconsin GCG package installed.
What we need now is to tie these resources into a coherent package
such that new users are not turned away by the hassles (converting
MAC files to IBM or VAX format, and similar problems) and to obtain new
hardware and software to complement and add to our capabilities.
First and foremost we feel that we need one full-time employee to
set up, maintain, and add to the facility. We need to obtain networking
software to establish a LAN to help resolve the current file transfer
problems. We then need to purchase software and obtain shareware to
complement what we have now. Lastly would be to burchase new hardware
and software. The full-time employee would provide training and help
develop user interfaces to the new software, after other duties were
accomplished.
It would be of great help to us if you could provide information
about your own efforts to establish similar sequence analysis facilities.
1) Where did you obtain funding, and where did you try but fail to
obtain funding?
2) How long did it take to get the facility up and running?
3) What percentage of your budget goes toward software, hardware and
personnel?
4) What hardware do you currently have?
5) What software do you currently have?
6) What hardware do you wish you could purchase next?
7) What software do you wish to purchase next?
8) Do you sell usage time on your facility?
9) Do you buy usage accounts from other facilities such as the Pittsburgh
Supercomputer Facility or Intelligenetics Suite?
10) How much of your time is spent setting up user interfaces?
11) Have you set up a gopher interface to Internet resources?
12) What is the most important advice you can give us?
Thank you very much for any help you can provide. If you wish to
obtain a summary of the responses we receive to this query, send e-mail
to B_FOLEY at UVMVAX.UVM.EDU
Sincerely;
Brian Foley
B_FOLEY at UVMVAX.UVM.EDU
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* Brian Foley * If we knew what we were doing *
* Molecular Genetics Dept. * it wouldn't be called research *
* University of Vermont * *
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