Jena Centre for Bioinformatics

The Jena Centre for Bioinformatics (JCB) has its roots in a BMBF funding initiative (project period 2001-2008) comprising university and non-university institutions as well as companies. Even after the funding had run out, the JBC has been serving as a networking platform bundling the expertise of 25 research groups specialized in computational biology and bioinformatics in Jena. The research activities are characterized by an intensive collaboration with regard to theoretical and experimental approaches and focussed on molecular communication processes.

The main areas of research comprise:

• Genome analysis and alternative splicing

• Structural biology

• Analysis of biological networks; systems biology

• Databases and online tools

• Data analysis and evaluation

• Algorithms for computational biology and bioinformatics

The JCB was coordinated by the FLI working group Sühnel until 2007. After the project funding was finished, most working groups involved into the network decided to keep on their cooperation within the framework of JCB. The substantial strengthening of biocomputational and systems biological expertise in Jena is the main result of the JCB. This expertise was a crucial element for the successful acquisition of third-party fundings as a prerequisite for the formation of JenAge (Jena Centre for Systems Biology of Aging, 2009-2014).

For more information see www.jcb-jena.de.