The CREST Center
for Bioinformatics and Computational BIology

The CREST Center for Research Excellence in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology was established at New Mexico State University in 2004, with a grant awarded from the National Science Foundation. The mission of the CREST Center is to create a dynamic and inter-disciplinary research environment to promote training, education, and research innovation in the field of Bioinformatics, bringing together the fields of Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Plant and Environmental Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences. The Center supports the training of a new breed of scientists with strong interdisciplinary skills, with funding for faculty and students, as well as an outreach component, which aims to expose students to this new field of study.

The Center also devotes resources to sponsoring outreach in the field of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, including two summer programs offered on the NMSU Campus. The Computer Science Summer Camp is aimed at introducing community college students from underrepresented minority groups to CS and the field of bioinformatics. The Bioinformatics Summer program is for local high school students. Both groups participate in an intensive two week program in hands-on research and application of the principles of bioinformatics. Recruitment for summer 2009 will begin in early Spring.

The Center is also in the process of creating a strong presence on the NMSU campus by sponsoring a colloquia series that invites Directors or Assistant Directors of other CREST Centers to the NMSU campus to discuss the research they conduct and possible collaborations that might be possible with the NMSU CREST Center. Additionally, the Center will be hosting several workshops in the 2009-2010 school year aimed at providing information about bioinformatics, which will be open to the entire NMSU campus.