1. What is HUSAR?
2. HUSAR services
3. HUSAR user support
4. HUSAR access
5. HUSAR group
6. HUSAR location

The HUSAR Bioinformatics Lab at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg) provides cutting-edge bioinformatics support and training to the scientist of the (post-)genomic era. This includes the Heidelberg Unix Sequence Analysis Resources (HUSAR), a large collection of essential sequence analysis tools.

• We provide the most up-to-date databases and software packages. Our main package - HUSAR - offers more than 260 applications for DNA and protein analysis. In addition to the latest, complete version of the GCG package (about 50% of our applications), you can use tools developed by us and by other ranking researchers in the bioinformatics field.

• We offer more than 200 databases, which are updated as soon as new versions become available. The major databases are updated every night (e.g. EMBL, GenBank) or weekly (Swissprot, Unigene). With HUSAR you can analyse the newest sequence data available. This is essential, as the DNA databases currently double their sizes in less than 9 months.

• In addition to HUSAR, we offer packages such as the Sequence Retrieval System, STADEN and PHYLIP and special hardware such as the Bioccelerator, which allows extremely robust database searches. We constantly enhance and extend our service, also upon user request.

• Based on a novel software framework that provides a general solution for handling results concurrently from one bioinformatics tool to another, we develope complex tool cascades ('tasks') allowing users to perform comprehensive data analyses without the requirement of further manual interaction. Currently, automated cascades for the analysis of regulatory DNA segments as well as for the prediction of protein functional properties are provided.

• In the fast changing fields of genomics and proteomics, scientists are dependent on expert user support. The HUSAR Bioinformatics Lab offers a complete range of assistance to its registered users, from 'start-up' help, to bioinformatics counselling in more complex scientific projects (genome research, phylogeny, modelling, datamining). The latter includes the development of unix scripts or advanced applications ('tasks') upon user request.

• You can reach us in a straight-forward manner by telephone and e-mail hotlines.

• Regular News inform you about the latest developments of the HUSAR Bioinforamtics Lab.

• Additional user support includes quick guides, help functions, documentation, an searchable FAQ and a growing link list.

• The exercises of the practical introductory course to HUSAR and the advanced bioinformatics workshop are online available.

• Training in bioinformatics is becoming more and more important in coping with the rapid developments in genome analysis. We offer practical introductory courses, where novice users can get familiar with HUSAR. There is ample time to practice. In advanced bioinformatics workshops you receive detailed information about the underlying principles of bioinformatics. Check the agenda of the advanced workshop for topics.
  Practical introductory courses and advanced bioinformatics workshops last two days and are held on a monthly basis. Attendance is free for registered users. The exercises of the practical introductory course to HUSAR and the advanced bioinformatics workshop are online available. The majority of our participants found our training "very useful" for their projects.

• We are constantly enhancing and extending our service, also on specific requests from users. User feedback is important to us!

You will receive a minimum of 45 hours cpu time and 40MB of storage space on our local server, which can be extended upon request (the vast majority of users never reaches these limits).

The service is provided by the HUSAR Bioinformatics Lab at the Department of Molecular Biophysics at the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) in Heidelberg in collaboration with the Steinbeis-Transfercenter for Genome Informatics.

• Karl-Heinz Glatting
• Agnes Hotz-Wagenblatt

• Moritz Aschoff

• Jens Füllenbach

• Melissa Vrohlings

• Rudolf Biczok
• Kanthni Umakantharajah

• Maren Diether
• Selcan Tuncay
• Xenia Wagner

• Coral del Val