The Bioinformatics Core provides a centralized resource offering expert bioinformatics consultation, collaborative research support, high-throughput data analysis, data management, and training. Our team delivers advanced bioinformatics expertise to assist investigators in designing studies, conducting analyses, interpreting results, and managing data using state-of-the-art computational approaches. Bioinformatics support is integrated across all stages of basic, clinical, and translational research, ensuring that informatics-driven insights enhance study design, data interpretation, and research productivity. The Core strives to be a sustainable infrastructure resource, providing high-quality bioinformatics solutions that directly support LSU Health investigators in publishing their work, securing competitive funding, and advancing biomedical discovery.

The Bioinformatics Core offers expert support in bioinformatics consultation, grant and protocol development, database design, research planning, and data analysis. We work with a wide range of “omics” data—including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and metagenomics—generated from platforms such as PCR, microarrays, next-generation sequencing, and mass spectrometry.

Our team provides hardware and software support for LSU Health investigators developing preliminary analyses and hypotheses for grant proposals. We also offer guidance on integrating computational biology methods into research plans and can prepare letters of support upon request.

In addition, our Core provides end-to-end data management services for collecting, storing, integrating, and managing both clinical and research data.

DIRECTOR

Jingjing Zhu, PhD
jzhu@lsuhsc.edu 
Office : 1700 Tulane Ave., Room 512, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112

1) High-Memory Compute Server – Dell PowerEdge R770
128 physical cores / 256 threads
1 TB DDR5 memory
NVMe high-performance storage for fast compute workloads
25 Gb networking
 
2) High-Capacity Research Storage – Dell ME5084
~660 TiB (~725 TB) usable storage
RAID fault-tolerance
25 Gb networking

The Bioinformatics Core Facility offers a range of services designed to establish and sustain a robust infrastructure that enables the integration of advanced informatics solutions into research activities:

1. Free consultation

Experimental Design and Power Calculations – Collaborate with our bioinformatics specialists early in the planning stage to design experiments that maximize scientific impact and data quality. We provide tailored study design guidance, cost-effective solutions, and comprehensive data quality control for high-throughput projects.

2. Data Analysis

AI and Machine Learning

• Predictive modeling and outcome prediction
• Biomarker identification and validation
• Feature selection and classification algorithms
• Deep learning for omics and imaging data integration

Genomics and Next-Generation Sequence Analysis

• Genome Assembly and Annotation
• DNA-Seq
• RNA-Seq
• Small RNA-Seq
• Chip-Seq
• Target-Sequencing
• Meth-Seq
• Metagenomics/Microbiome
• Single-cell and Single-nucleus Sequencing

Microarray and Genotyping Analysis

• Gene expression
• Exon Arrays for alternative splicing
• SNP Arrays/GWAS
• miRNA Arrays
• DNA methylation Arrays
• CNV analysis

Proteomics and Protein Interaction Analysis

• Protein mass-spec data for protein expression and interaction
• Phosphor-screen
• Glycol-screen
• PTM (post translation modicication) Profilling

Metobolomics data analysis

• Metabolomics Profiling
• Lipidomics
• Glycomics and Sugar Profiling
• Entire metabolomics data analysis

Multivariate biomarker identification and classification

• Feature selection algorithms
• Classification algorithms

Gene pattern, function analysis, systems biology

• Gene and sample correlation and clustering analysis
• Gene enrichment analysis
• Gene ontology and pathway analysis
• Gene network analysis
• Integrative “omics” data analysis

Image data analysis

Single Cell Sequencing

Nanostring Data Analysis

3. Grant Support

We provide hardware and software support to LSU researchers conducting preliminary data analyses for hypothesis development and testing as part of grant proposal preparation. Our team offers guidance on incorporating computational and bioinformatics methods into research analysis plans. Letters of support for grant applications are available upon request.

4. Data Management Service

We provide comprehensive data management services and develop web-based databases for the collection, storage, integration, and management of clinical and research data.

5. Collaborative Research

We collaborate with principal investigators across multiple LSU departments and campuses, providing bioinformatics support through both established analytical pipelines and customized computational tools developed to meet specific research objectives.

Hourly Charges for Data Analysis 

Internal Rate: $140/hour
External Rate: $200/hour

Charges for Data storage and Management

Internal Rate: $15/TB per month
External Rate: $20/TB per month