Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API) and Bioinformatics Network Alberta (BioNet) have entered a partnership to continue to expand and fuel the growing world-class research landscape present in the province of Alberta and foster innovation through collaboration. BioNet is a not-for-profit network-based education and information hub focused on the areas of bioinformatics and computational biology to increase the benefits of data-enabling technologies for Albertans. Working with BioNet will provide a resource for bioinformatics and computational biology expertise to API partners.
Bioinformatics uses computation to solve problems in biological and medical science. Computational biology and bioinformatics methods analyze health data to create systems for evaluating medical conditions to make predictions and new discoveries.1
API and BioNet will work together to strengthen the relationship between drug development and the field of bioinformatics and computational biology, expanding awareness of each institution and providing a resource for bioinformatics and computational biology expertise to API partners. Additionally, BioNet members will be advised of potential services available through the therapeutic discovery arm of API that may be relevant to further their research programs.
“BioNet Alberta exists as a capacity-building initiative developed through Genome Canada and Genome Alberta with the goal of helping to unify researchers in bioinformatics and computational biology within the province of Alberta,” said Eric Merzetti, Network Manager with BioNet. “To meet this goal, BioNet aims to foster an environment of collaboration between provincially based researchers across diverse research fields including agriculture, neuroscience, computer science and health. Our collaboration with Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation allows each institution to reach out to a greater audience and to provide additional value-added services to provincial researchers.”
“Utilizing the resources BioNet Alberta offers to API partners, our network can further increase efficient data interpretation and build systems to make predictions for drug research and development. This expands API’s capacity and provides further support to industry and innovators,” stated Andrew MacIsaac, CEO of API.
The ongoing partnership will provide additional value-added services to provincial researchers and continue to strengthen Alberta’s strength in life sciences and pharmaceutical R&D.
1 University of Alberta. Accessed January 2021. Edmonton, Alberta.
https://www.ualberta.ca/computing-science/research/research-areas/bioinformatics.html