Empowering Team Science Across the Translational Spectrum with the UAB Biomedical Research Infrastructure Technology Enhancement (U-BRITE)

James J. Cimino, Wayne H. Liang, Jelai Wang, Dongmei Sun, John David Osborne, Amy Y. Wang, S. Louis Bridges, Matthew C. Wyatt, Jake Y. Chen

Abstract: In response to a need for diverse computing support for translational science teams, the Informatics Institute at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has developed a prototype platform called UAB Biomedical Research Infrastructure Technology Enhancement (U-BRITE). This platform provides project management functionality, high-volume data storage, access to clinical data, processing of data through custom pipelines, and high-performance computing in an environment that is compliant with privacy regulations. The project was designed and developed with the help of four biomedical sciences teams, each with their own -omics data, clinical data, and research questions. This paper describes U-BRITE's architecture (accessible at https://ubrite.org/) and the experience of the members of four teams who were its initial users. Our experience provides useful guidance for future data reuse and an open science model of collaborative biomedical research.