Information and Computational Sciences
The James Hutton Institute’s Information and Computational Sciences (ICS) department brings together an exceptional combination of scientific skills and expertise. This ranges from genome scale bioinformatics to the modelling of soil and climate information on a geographical scale.
ICS provides The James Hutton Institute with a unique capacity to rise to the challenges that come from the new high-throughput data generation technologies. There is a need to integrate data across a broad range of scales and with the computational resources available to ICS we are able deliver integrative solutions to challenges that land and natural resource use is currently facing.
The department currently numbers 50 staff, undertaking research in bioinformatics, geoinformatics, soil science, community planning, policy options appraisal, risk assessment and integrated complex systems modelling, as well as research computing and high-performance computing (HPC). As well as working closely with colleagues across the Institute, the department it works closely with BioSS and other computational groups at national and international levels to ensure that the institute’s research is able to capitalise on the opportunities that arise from state of the art computational sciences.
Information and Computational Sciences research can be divided into four areas:
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics aims to lead innovation in the generation, integration, and analysis of data from multi-omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) applied to agricultural and environmental science. We work with a wide range of organisms including crop plants, bacterial, and fungal plant pathogens. In addition, we have research collaborations aligned to ecological domains including, microbiomes, trees, and environmental DNA. In addition, the group has expertise in information systems, databases, and data visualization.
Geoinformatics
Geoinformatics involves the collection and exploitation of spatial and temporal data from land systems at multiple scales; including the interactions between water, soil, land cover, land use and landscape and their monitoring; as well as interactions with socio-economic factors. Our work focusses on the capture, measurement, and analysis of land systems data, principally from Scotland, reflecting the responsibility of our Institute for the stewardship of national data such as soils, agricultural, land cover and landscapes. One of our strengths is that we work across the science-policy interface, undertaking work that directly meets the needs of government policy teams.
Human & Environmental Modelling
Human & Environmental Modelling works on modelling soil, crop, climate, hydrological and human systems. While the group covers a diverse range of modelling challenges, one unifying feature is the propensity to develop and apply complex and systems-based modelling to understand contemporary real-world issues. Our aim is that modelling is used to support decision making.
Research computing
Research computing facilitates the advancement of research through the provision of state-of-the-art computing facilities including cluster computing, data storage and software engineering. The group develop research software across a range of disciplines including environmental and social sciences. The group also set up, and now maintain and develop, the UK Crop Diversity high performance computing platform that supports the work of a consortium of six UK scientific institutions.
