In Other Words: Sandboxes Aren ’t Just for Kids

Did you know that kids aren’t the only ones playing around in sandboxes? The term sandbox may evoke a childhood memory of sensory play, but it’s also used to describe a virtual environment where someone can learn from digital products. Credit: NIGMS. High quantities of data that can be hard to manage, store, and understand are increasingly driving biomedical research. Scientists need access to high-performance computer infrastructure along with bioinformatics tools to do cutting-edge research, but often these resources are out of reach for smaller institutions. Cloud computing can provide access to top-of-the-line computer infrastructure through a simple internet connection, opening new avenues for scientists at under-resourced institutions. With access to data and tools in the cloud, researchers can work with large data sets, but new users often don’t know how to use the tools or even what tools are available to them. Enter the sandbox. Sandboxes allow users to try new things and explore functions with test datasets without fear of losing or damaging their own data sets. For example, NIGMS recently launched a cloud-based learning sandbox that includes interactive collections of learning modules, each covering a specific technology or research method where users can input their own research data to use in the learning process. Using the NIGMS sandbox, scientists can explore features in the cloud environment and learn from data analysis experts through a com...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Tools and Techniques Bioinformatics Computational Biology Cool Tools/Techniques In Other Words Source Type: blogs