Mission & History

Mission

The Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing & Biotechnology (IGBB) at Mississippi State University (MS State) was founded in 2011 to increase the ability of Mississippi scientists to lead high-throughput, multi-disciplinary projects focused on understanding the biomolecular interactions underlying the diversity, value, and sustainability of species of agricultural, medical, bioenergy, and/or ecological importance.  The IGBB provides researchers access to a team of highly-skilled professionals trained in cutting edge genomics, proteomics, and high performance computing principles and techniques.  The IGBB team not only generates molecular data using state-of-the-art equipment, but works with investigators to efficiently derive biological knowledge from that data.  Specific goals of the IGBB include:

• Conducting scientific research that meets the needs of society and further enhances the unique strengths of MS State;
• Attracting and retaining outstanding faculty and students at MS State;
• Offering researchers at MS State and elsewhere the opportunity to collaborate with the IGBB's genomics, proteomics, and computational biology experts;
• Helping principal investigators leverage the experience and expertise of the IGBB to make their research programs more productive, increase the number and scientific impact of their publications, and enhance their ability to procure extramural funding;
• Supporting educational activities that enhance the abilities of students and faculty to succeed in the multi-disciplinary fields of computational biology, genomics, and biotechnology.

To learn more about us and how we operate, check out Helping You and the News Archive.

History

The IGBB was formed in 2011 through the merger of two successful MS State institutes -- specifically, the Life Sciences & Biotechnology Institute and the Institute for Digital Biology -- and integration of the resulting unit into MS State's High Performance Computing Collaboratory (HPC²).  The merger and affiliation with the HPC has greatly expanded Mississippi State University's growing role as a leader in cutting edge genomics, proteomics, and computational biology research.