Bioinformatics Core
Bioinformatics analysis to support research activities.
The Bioinformatics Core helps researchers identify and interpret patterns in RNA and DNA by placing sequencing data into a biologically meaningful context. This encompasses assisting with experimental design, developing reproducible workflows, analyzing next-generation sequencing data, and supporting manuscript development/publication.
“We are thrilled with the services provided to our team by the BRCF Bioinformatics Core, the services provide enabled us to publish top tier papers and be awarded multiple NIH funded grants. We are very grateful to have this Core available to us on campus!”
How We Can Help You
Consultations
We offer an initial, free pre-analysis consultation to discuss the types of analysis and support bioinformatics can provide, in addition to assisting with experimental design to best answer the biological question(s) of interest. Contact us by email at [email protected] for more information.
Data Analysis
Offering a variety of analyses
Workshops & Training
Hosting regular virtual, hands-on workshops
“I’ve greatly enjoyed my experience working with the Bioinformatics Core. Chris and his team were instrumental in establishing a workflow for the measurement of allele-specific expression using data from targeted RNA-seq and DNA-seq. Their services were timely and helped us to publish and secure continued funding.”
Facilities & Resources
The BRCF Bioinformatics Core employs three full-time bioinformaticians. This core helps researchers identify and interpret patterns in RNA, DNA, and proteins by placing sequencing or mass spectrometry data into a biologically meaningful context. Support offered includes assisting with experimental design, training in analysis execution, developing reproducible workflows, analyzing data, and supporting manuscript development/publication.
Meet the Team
Nick Carruthers, M.S., Ph.D.
Dr. Nick Carruthers specializes in statistical and functional analysis of RNASeq and Proteomics data. He is interested in data sharing and reproducible analysis pipelines. Prior to working at the University of Michigan, he was a bioinformatician at the Wayne State University Proteomics Facility. He received his Ph.D. in Toxicology and M.S. in Data Science from Wayne State University and B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Waterloo. His free time is spent with his family or on the golf course.
Raymond Cavalcante, Ph.D.
Dr. Cavalcante consults with clients to understand their bioinformatics needs and develop suitable analysis plans. He develops modular, scalable, and reproducible analysis pipelines for epigenomics assays (ChIP-seq, WGBS, ERRBS, ATAC-seq, and the EPIC methylation array). Dr. Cavalcante received his Ph.D. in Bioinformatics at the University of Michigan in August 2017, where he focused on building computational tools to help interpret and give context to epigenomics and metabolomics data. He completed his undergraduate work in Mathematics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and an M.A. in Mathematics from San Francisco State University. When not working, he likes to escape to the Upper Peninsula as much as possible to ski and cook in the winter, or hike and pick berries in the summer.
Weisheng Wu, Ph.D.
Weisheng Wu received his Ph.D. in Integrative Biosciences and Graduate Minor degree in Statistics from Pennsylvania State University in 2011. His Ph.D. and postdoctoral research in Dr. Ross Hardison’s lab in the Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics at Penn State has given him versatile experiences of generation and analysis of genome-scale high-throughput sequencing data in a mouse model. Dr. Wu’s research has been focusing on elucidating the dynamics of genome-scale epigenetic landscapes in hematopoiesis through next-generation sequencing technology. He has made interesting discoveries about the roles of histone modifications associated with transcription factor binding and gene regulation during erythroid differentiation. Dr. Wu is also making active contributions to both Human ENCODE and Mouse ENCODE projects.
Questions?
Contact Us
2800 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2800
About Us
Upcoming Research Events
BRCF Metabolomics Core Microbiome Symposium 2026
Innovations in Omics: Advancing Discovery Through Multiomics
Basic Microscopy Talk Series
10x Genomics Office Hours
Cryopreservation and Assisted Reproduction: Cost-effective methods for model management & sharing
Spatial Multiomics Seminar
Writing a Compelling & Competitive Proposal
Basic Microscopy Talk Series
The Funding Forum
Featured Research News
BRCF Holiday Closures
Reinvest Your Core’s Rent Budget with the Recharge Core Support Plan (RCSP)
