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ORCA: a comprehensive bioinformatics container environment for education and research.
Shaun D Jackman1, Tatyana Mozgacheva1, Susie Chen1
1Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver BC, Canada.
Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)
|April 21, 2019
Summary
The ORCA bioinformatics environment simplifies complex software setup for researchers and educators. This Docker image provides a ready-to-use bioinformatics suite, saving valuable time on installation and debugging.
Area of Science:
- Bioinformatics
- Computational Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Bioinformatics tools often have complex dependencies, leading to installation challenges.
- Researchers and educators require accessible, reliable computational environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the ORCA bioinformatics environment, a Docker image simplifying tool access.
- To highlight ORCA's utility in education, research collaboration, and hackathons.
Main Methods:
- ORCA is implemented as a Docker image containing numerous bioinformatics tools and dependencies.
- It provides a server infrastructure that abstracts direct Docker interaction for novice users.
Main Results:
- ORCA has been successfully deployed for external collaborations, undergraduate bioinformatics courses, and hackathons.
- It significantly reduces time spent on software installation and debugging.
Conclusions:
- ORCA offers a comprehensive and user-friendly bioinformatics environment.
- It enables researchers and educators to focus more on analysis and learning rather than technical setup.
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