Multi-scale complex genomics

The European three-dimensional (3D) genomics project entitled “Multi-scale complex genomics” (MuG) is coordinated by Dr. Modesto Orozco, at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and it will be conducted over three years with a budget of 3 million euros.

The goal is to standardise experiments in 3D genomics and the storage of data and to develop a set of protocols, methods, and processes by which to exploit these data, thus laying the groundwork for an emerging field that lacks organisation. 3D genomics provides information about the structures adopted by folded DNA inside a cell and about how they change over time and in response to alterations in cell environment.

The project falls within “e-Infrastructures for Virtual Research Environments”, part of the EU’s Horizon2020 Programme. The launch of this virtual collaboration initiative in genomics responds to the European Commission’s roadmap to bring the scientific community closer to large research facilities, such as supercomputers. The idea is to progress over the next decade in a research field that is crucial for biomedicine, offering solutions for user needs and facilitating collaboration.

The project involves six European reference centres in programming, method development, and visualisation techniques for 3D genomics data: IRB Barcelona; the Barcelona SuperComputing Center (BSC); the Institute of Human Genetics of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (IGH-CNRS); the University of Nottingham; the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL-EBI); and the CNAG-CRG.

The role of the CNAG-CRG in the project

The CNAG-CRG acts as coordinator of the WP3 for Multi-scale visualization of genomics data. We are in charge of providing a visualizer of genomics data in 3D and 4D (in time). The Structural Genomics Team at the CNAG-CRG will deploy its TADkit software as a platform for visualizing the genomics data and simulation provided by the other partners in the MuG consortium.

More information

MuG website

Coordinator: 
Modesto Orozco