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Manchester Informatics

Welcome to Manchester Informatics

An exciting strategic initiative at the University of Manchester:

Visualisation of part of the evolutionary history of the bZIP protein interaction network. From top to bottom, the different layers show the inferred networks in the ancestral chordate, vertebrate and teleost and in the present-day zebrafish. Proteins are represented as coloured nodes, using different colours to show the various bZIP sub-families. Citation: John W Pinney, Grigoris D Amoutzias, Magnus Rattray, David L Robertson, (2007) Reconstruction of ancestral protein interaction networks for the bZIP transcription factors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(51): 20449-53. Full text doi:10.1073/pnas.0706339104
  • Creating a joined-up multidisciplinary informatics community across the whole University

  • Harnessing the creative and intellectual power of world-class academics engaged in informatics research and teaching in a wide range of disciplines – biology, business, computing, social science, medicine, mathematics, psychology and many others

  • Crossing boundaries between disciplines and between Schools: exploiting synergies between areas of existing strength and helping to identify opportunities for new academic development

  • Building the critical mass necessary to tackle many exciting opportunities and challenges in research and teaching

  • Developing strategic alliances with external stakeholders

(Image courtesy of Pinney JW, Amoutzias GD, Rattray M, Robertson DL. Reconstruction of ancestral protein interaction networks for the bZIP transcription factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Dec 18;104(51):20449-53.)


Informatics is a multi-disciplinary approach to information and IS, embracing:

  • Study of both natural and engineered systems for the acquisition, storage, integration, processing, visualization and communication of information

  • Impact on individuals, organisations and society

  • Development of computational thinking, methods and systems

  • Simulation and modelling

Prof Douglas Kell appointed as Chief Executive of BBSRC

Prof Kell is a leading figure in the field of systems biology, the multidisciplinary approach to tackling complex biological problems using theory, computer modelling and experimentation.

Cancer Biomedical Informatics caBIG uses the Taverna workbench

The goal of the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid caBIG is to develop applications and the underlying systems architecture that connects together data, tools, scientists and organizations in an open federated environment.

Creation of Manchester Informatics

Manchester Informatics, established in September 2007, is now working to bring together the informatics community across the University.

Bio-Health Applications and Multi-core Reconfigurable Supercomputing

Date: 17-18 July 2008 The Multi-core Reconfigurable Supercomputing network (MRS) is an EPSRC-funded initiative funded under EPSRC's Digital Economy programme.

Computational Modelling Focus Meeting

Chancellors, University of Manchester 15th July 2008Building a strategy for computational modelling Keynote speech: 'The Future of Computational Modelling', Professor Jack Dongarra The meeting will aim to identify the current community and the infrastructure requirements for the immediate future, and look at longer term research themes and infrastructure needs.