University of Wyoming IDeA Networks of Excellence in Biomedical Research (IMBRE) will improve biomedical research infrastructure, research competitiveness, training and workforce development with a federal grant to develop a cloud-based genomic data learning module.

Wyoming INBRE was awarded an additional $43,945 year-long National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Sandbox grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the project titled “RADseq for Population Genetics, Linkage Mapping and GWAS” . The grant started on May 1 and ends on April 30, 2025.

The NIGMS Sandbox is a collection of cloud-based biomedical data science learning modules to teach students, researchers, clinicians, and others how to harness the power of cloud technology for life science applications and research.

Under the grant, the Wyoming INBRE Data Science Core is developing a cloud-based learning module for the NIGMS Sandbox that will benefit those interested in learning more about genomic datasets.

The module will add a NIGMS Sandbox learning pathway that provides IDeA network members with training in the large-scale and impactful use of restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) data for studies focused on population genetics, linkage mapping, genome-wide association (GWAS), conservation genetics, evolutionary biology and crop/animal improvement. The module will provide the IDeA community with an introductory learning module aimed at increasing cloud literacy and demonstrating the power of RADseq datasets to answer important biological questions.

Scott Seville, professor and senior associate dean in the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, is the grant’s principal investigator. Sevilla, also director of Wyoming INBRE, is coordinating with Nic Blouin, senior research fellow in the Department of Molecular Biology and director of Wyoming INBRE’s Data Science Core, and Sean Harrington, senior research fellow in the Department of Molecular Biology.

“Because cloud computing is still new at many institutions, there is a need for accessible and contextual learning and research tools to gain experience with cloud computing,” says Blouin. “Here, we propose a cloud-based learning module for Sandbox that will be useful to those interested in learning more about genomic datasets. “

The progress of biomedical research depends heavily on access to and analysis of large and complex data sets, according to the grant summary. To provide equal access to all researchers, the research community should provide access to cloud computing that enables efficient data analysis and management without an upfront investment, where appropriate. In addition, many institutions, such as state public health laboratories, require their workforces to be cloud literate to report findings and manage their workload.

The grant is one of 14 projects that received a total of $991,005 in NIH funding that were announced in July, according to Brittany Merth, public affairs specialist and social media lead for the National Institute’s Public Affairs and Communications Branch of General Medical Sciences of the NIH.

The NIGMS Sandbox, launching in 2023, was built through a collaboration between NIGMS, the NIH Office of Data Science Strategy, the NIH Center for Information Technology, NIGMS-funded investigators, and a team of cloud engineers, bioinformaticians, and project managers. The platform is hosted on GitHub and has 12 learning modules that are publicly available for self-learning as well as for use in a classroom. Each module represents a unique use case or scientific workflow and is delivered through interactive step-by-step tutorials, quizzes and visualizations.