TimeLogic, a division of Active Motif, said this week that it is partnering with Bielefeld University's Center for Biotechnology to build faster versions of sequence comparison algorithms that will run on its field programmable gate array-based DeCypher biocomputing system.
Alexander Goesmann, executive director of the bioinformatics resource facility at CeBiTec, said that the center will provide validation and benchmarking for a new implementation of Blast that TimeLogic plans to release next year (BI 11/4/2011) as well as a next-generation mapping tool that the company is developing.
This agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two groups. In September, CeBiTec purchased a DeCypher system to support research efforts aimed at discovering new functions of genes and proteins (BI 9/16/2011).
Goesmann said this week that the CeBiTec team has so far integrated TimeLogic's Tera-Blast into its GenDB genome annotation system, "which has relieved the enormous pressure on our sizeable compute cluster."
He added that the CeBiTec researchers are "working on a new platform for metagenomics that will rely heavily on the TimeLogic system.”
In a statement, Ted DeFrank, Active Motif's president, said that his firm was "investing heavily" in its TimeLogic division because of advances in next-generation sequencing that have led to new opportunities for the company.
He added that "working with CeBiTec affords us a great opportunity to strengthen our position" in the market.