National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LABINFO)

The Bioinformatics Laboratory (LABINFO) of the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC) is located in the city of Petrópolis (Rio de Janeiro State), Brazil.

LABINFO was founded in 2000 under the auspices of the Program of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources (Programa de Biotecnologia e Recursos Genéticos) of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, or MCTI). In 2008, LABINFO's activities were expanded through the establishment of the Computational Genomics Unit Darcy Fontoura de Almeida (Unidade de Genômica Computacional Darcy Fontoura de Almeida – UGCDFA), which houses a high-throughput sequencing facility.

LABINFO has expertise in processing and analyzing nucleotide sequences (genomes, metagenomes, exomes and cDNA) generated from large-scale sequencing carried out in Brazil and abroad with computational programs and databases, several of which have been developed by the group. UGCDFA is a facility in the genomic sequencing field equipped with next-generation sequencing platforms open to research institutions in Brazil and abroad. To date, UGCDFA platforms have served to sequence more than 400 genomes, including human, fungal, parasite, and bacterial genomes of significance for human, animal, and plant health, as well as several metagenomes of biotechnological significance.

Objectives

• Conduct research and development in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology with an emphasis on creating and applying computational and mathematical methods and models for solving biological problems.
• Maintain and develop the databases and tools in bioinformatics and computational biology that meet the needs of thematic networks and national and international collaboration projects, as well as staff training, and the transfer of technology and innovation.

Vision

Our vision is to become a center of excellence in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, acting as a reference in research and development activities, the transfer of technology and innovation, and staff training, in addition to being in charge of the computational structure of the Brazilian Genome Network.

Values

We strive to attain excellence and recognition for scientific merit, stimulate creativity, provide technical and scientific training for staff, foster total dedication and efficiency in all activities and ensure respect for ethics and transparency, while taking into account the public and social responsibility of an institution that is open to society.

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