Advances in genomic and biomedical research have the potential to revolutionize the identification of targets for the development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in order to reduce the impact of bioterrorism as well as that of emerging and re-emerging diseases. For more than half a century, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has conducted and supported research to relieve the burden of infectious diseases that threaten millions of lives. These research investigations overlap and cut across many biomedical disciplines, arising from complex interactions of genetic, pathogenic, immunologic, metabolic, environmental, and societal factors. Findings in one research area often unexpectedly shed light on questions in related fields. Therefore, sharing of data and resources among investigators is critical to accelerate the pace of disease prevention and treatment, particularly in light of the growing threat of bioterrorism and emerging diseases such as SARS. NIAID seeks to reduce the burden of knowledge sharing and improve the quality and reuse of data already generated by establishing centralized resources for annotated genomic data, data analysis, and community interaction. Such is the goal of the Bioinformatics Resource Centers (BRCs).

The ERIC Team anticipates that the BRCs may also act as clearinghouses for data from NIAID's Large-Scale Sequencing of Microbial Genomes Network, Biodefense Proteomics Research Program, Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense as well as the many other biodefense and emerging disease research projects worldwide. The BRCs will provide a means for biodefense and infectious disease researchers to annotate and update multi-organism data, compare genomes, analyze all sorts of related biological data, and allow easier data distribution within the research community.