Successful scientific data ecosystems require a holistic approach
Experience has taught us that a holistic approach is necessary to speed up biomedical research performance. When assessing, strategizing, designing, building, training or supporting scientific data ecosystems, we integrate four critical dimensions.
Scientific Mission Alignment
We begin by developing a clear understanding of the scientific mission and the overall digital transformation plan. Then we design forward-looking scientific computing solutions that fit seamlessly into existing and future environments, whether at the organizational or the departmental levels.
Advanced Technology Foundation
State-of-the-art scientific computing is the foundation for data-driven discovery and requires skillful integration of complex components. However, bleeding-edge technology is not always the best solution to every problem. As practitioners, we truly understand scientific research and apply our mastery of science, data and the latest technologies to deliver a best-fit foundation for your current and future research needs.
Organizational Dynamics
Shifting researchers’ mindset from “my data” to “our data” is not easy. Neither is adoption of new processes. That’s why we design for ease of use, support existing workflows and apply new workflows and processes that combine people, processes, data and technology. To change the culture of data silos, we train scientists to use the new capabilities and build internal multidisciplinary partnerships.
Deep Collaboration
Sophisticated leading-edge technologies require expertise to maintain. We foster a deeply collaborative and transparent relationship. Our engagement will not be complete until you have mastered the learning curve and have complete confidence in your new data ecosystem. Building trusted relationships that last way beyond the end of the engagement is an integral part of our commitment.
Our Services
From assessment to implementation
Our scientists, data scientists and technologists are practitioners with deep experience in biotech, pharma, government, academia and non-profits—from startups to global organizations. Adept at translating scientific and clinical research needs into powerful, implementable IT plans and designs, we increase research performance by building or improving all aspects of scientific data ecosystems.
Assessment Services
BioTeam will deliver a highly expert assessment of your IT environment, ranging from a rapid, tactical appraisal of a technical plan to a broad and strategic evaluation of your current and future needs. Our findings are honest, with detailed recommendations. Our goal is to give you the knowledge you need to implement the best technologies for your organization.
- Rapid Assessment and Validation: Fast and very focused on addressing and solving a specific problem.
- Scientific Computing Assessment: Evaluation of compute needs and design solutions for storage, HPC, cloud, network, and facilities.
- Deep-dive Assessment: Detailed study of your needs, with realistic recommendations—from PB-scale storage to a 100GB network, or running a scientific IT group.
- 360-Degree IT Assessment: A broad evaluation of organizations needing a fresh, objective appraisal of their entire environment, with detailed recommendations that will align IT with scientific and business needs.
Strategic Services
Our strategic services will prepare your leadership for the future, providing them with long-term proactive strategies that align with your organization’s vision and mission. Strategic guidance takes all aspects of the organization into account, including enterprise and scientific IT, along with administrative and business interests. Our engagement with your leadership can last from a few days to the entire fiscal year, customized based on your needs.
- Strategic Whiteboarding Session: One-day collaborative strategy development, typically focused on key technology needs such as storage, cloud or data management.
- Strategic IT Advisement: Help with your long-term IT planning and strategy, using the advisement approach that best fits your needs.
- Strategic Organizational Development: Advice on organizational changes aimed at better meeting your scientific needs and furthering your scientific mission.
- Technology Briefs: Provide a more complete understanding of current and emerging technologies across research IT.
Architecture and Design Services
BioTeam has been designing state-of-the-art infrastructure since 2002, whether on premises or in the cloud. As scientists and engineers ourselves, we think deeply about empowering research with scalable, high-performance compute and storage systems running on the most advanced networks. Our deep understanding of today's information technologies allows us to envision computing solutions that will change the way you work, maximizing the value of our engagement.
- HPC Infrastructure Design: We can deliver full designs based on a scientific needs assessment or, as life sciences HPC domain experts, slot into an existing project team.
- Cloud HPC Design: Container-based workloads and traditional batch-oriented HPC cluster designs are our specialty. Our designs take into consideration the significant data movement, data management and security requirements implicit in life science HPC on the cloud.
- Network Design: Our network design experience extends from high-speed networking at 10-gig, to 40-gig, 100-gig and 400-gig speeds.
- Storage Design: We specify, design and tune storage platforms for particular organizational needs, data environments or workflow requirements. Large scale petabyte-class storage platforms are a speciality.
Software Development Services
BioTeam has always written software for its clients, from clinical-grade genomics platforms to commercial-grade analytics applications to LIMS systems and industrial-scale cloud workflows. We are deeply knowledgeable about cloud platforms, software languages, web stacks and the best practices that will enable us to create your mission-critical application. Our advanced DevOps techniques facilitate cross-functional team efficiency and rapid iteration.
- Web Application Design and Development: Design, build, test and deploy innovative full-stack solutions with scientific computing interfaces that enable global collaboration and accessibility online.
- Bioinformatics Workflow Development: Implement and optimize workflows and pipelines for large-scale genomics, drug design and many other life sciences workloads.
- Software Optimization: Drawing on our deep experience with software stacks, database technologies, cloud services platforms, machine learning algorithms and bespoke data platforms, we can include activities such as performance optimization on HPC or cloud systems, refactoring or refining code bases—ultimately speeding up data-driven research.
- Advanced Architecture Programming and Parallelization (GPUs, ASICs, FPGAs): Accelerate applications using massively parallel devices, e.g., by applying parallel programming techniques to existing nonparallel systems to dramatically cutting down on the time it takes to generate results.
Implementation and Engineering Services
BioTeam builds infrastructures to exacting standards because we do scientific computing ourselves, and we know how research succeeds when supplied with high-performance capabilities. We also know that good engineering has to be efficient and tailored to your needs. From instrument-scale computation to supercomputing-scale to cloud-scale, we will build the computing infrastructure that will drive your research forward.
- HPC Implementation and Optimization: Design and build novel HPC infrastructures that meet the scientific computing needs of your organization, from the ground up or enhancing and optimizing existing infrastructure.
- Storage Implementation: Design and deploy a storage solution that fits the needs of your research organization, ranging from highly efficient parallel storage system deployments to full-fledged multi-tiered storage solutions.
- Data Management: Develop and deploy a data management solution that fits the needs of your research organization and facilitates FAIR data—findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.
- Network Implementation and Optimization: Efficient data movement is predicated on a networking infrastructure which is optimized for scientific data flows. BioTeam is a leader in the design and deployment of network architectures geared toward scientific data flows, including science DMZs.
Training Services
Our goal at BioTeam is to facilitate your work, and training is a cost-effective way to develop your own expertise. The best training is hands-on, fun and interactive, bringing your own use cases together with our real-world experience to empower you and your staff.
- Cloud training including:
- AWS Bootcamp
- AWS Kickstart
- AWS Assessment Workshops
- AWS Architecture Service
- Scientific storage design and data management
- Deploying bioinformatics workflows on-premises and in the cloud
- Scientific programming
- HPC training
Support
To enhance the success of our engagements, BioTeam offers short-term strategic support for the systems and technologies we design and build.
- Limited short-term strategic support while we train the organization to work on the systems we are building.
- Short-term deep expert support in areas where our client lacks skilled staff such as HPC systems or complex cloud environments.
- Assistance writing job descriptions and interviewing candidates to help our client hire staff with appropriate skills so we can pass the torch.
