TARCLOUDTargets on the Cloud: a cloud-based microRNA target prediction platform

Biologists used to consider proteins and DNA as movers and shakers in genomics. This has dramatically changed after the discovery, in early 2000s, of the key role played in gene expression by small RNA molecules, called microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs can completely silence proteins. They do so, by binding themselves to complementary sequences on mRNA transcripts, called targets. IMIS, and the DNA Intelligent Analysis (DIANA) group of B.S.R.C. Alexander Fleming, have designed and implemented an advanced IT infrastructure for genomic data management, oriented to processing, analysis and visualization of computationally predicted miRNA targets. The goal of this proposal is to set up the DIANA-microT target prediction methods on the Microsoft Azure Platform. This will help us to achieve efficient performance to satisfy the requirements raised by the frequent updates of the miRNA and gene databases, as well as to provide real-time target prediction services.