Molecular Biology Computer Services
The innovative nature of cutting edge research requires individuals who are constantly challenging the status quo, always pushing the envelope to move knowledge forward in their many fields of expertise. The Department of Molecular Biology’s, Computer Services Core (CSC) recognizes that “one-size-fits-all” standardized solutions are the rarity and uses out-of-box thinking to customize computing solutions to MGH & affiliated researchers. The CSC consists of individuals, with over 20 years of research support experience, from a variety of backgrounds (computational, technical, research, administrative), who believe that the best use of a scientist’s time is to do science. Our job is to take care of the day to day computing issues and give the scientist the tools they need to maximize their scientific time.
The primary objective of the Computer Services Core (CSC) is to provide high-level computer based services to MGH researchers and affiliated groups on a fee-for-service, break-even basis. The CSC is intended to be a cooperative effort across multiple research departments, enabling them to pool their resources while allowing the Department of Molecular Biology to expand its existing services to the greater research community. Our goal is to bring together research departments, which are currently collaborating with each other, into a stronger and more beneficial structure. To share resources/services across the community preventing duplication of efforts allowing a more responsible use of limited research funds/resources. To provide services and systems found in some of the larger departments, into a core facility which can be accessed by smaller groups within the research community bringing it to one cohesive point of contact for the researcher. This “one point” contact allows easy identification of resources for the general user. The small client base of the CSC allows for a more in depth, high-level dissection/troubleshooting of user issues. Additionally, our close contacts to counterparts at neighboring institutions helps us provide solutions which facilitate the many inter institution collaborations our researchers maintain.
The CSC acts a bridge to the Partners Healthcare Enterprise. We recognize the Enterprise’s need to fulfill its primary healthcare mission and to maximize the use of its limited resources by providing standardized solutions which bring stability to the Enterprise. The CSC is intended to be complementary to the services provided by the existing Partners Research Computing (PRC By understanding the standardized stability needs of the healthcare oriented Enterprise and the constantly changing needs of the research community, the CSC is in a unique position to design research oriented solutions which can mesh with Enterprise standards.