System Support

CoGe System Support, 2009, University of California, Berkeley

Summary: There are now fees for some database uploads and a CoGe consultation/training charge of $200/hr plus expenses. The CoGe team includes 4 programmers, two PIs and a few researchers comfortable with using the various CoGe applications.

CoGe is a comparative genomics system funded by NSF and is provided as a public research toolbox. Use is without charge. The CoGe team in the Freeling lab, UC-Berkeley, will continue to provide on-line research support in comparative genomics. However, Eric Lyons, lead developer, and the rest of the CoGe team -- and also the two PIs in the Freeling lab, Damon Lisch and Michael Freeling -- need to limit time and computational resources spent in "service." Our funding is for research. CoGe's modest success brings with it this need to set limits.

We greatly value our experienced users. Through user feedback, CoGe continues to improve. The ongoing communication between CoGe staff and users constitutes collaboration, not consultation. Bugs are fixed and tools that are easy to enable are added without charge.

1) We will continue to upload and maintain any genome database that is available to the public free of charge. However, starting in 2009, we will charge for publicly funded genome uploads while they are protected from public use by the Ft Lauderdale convention ($3,000/upload) and charge more for each proprietary database upload (quote based on level of security). Charges stop when the public is granted access.

2) Our consulting rate is $200/hr plus expenses for 2009, and everyone in the Freeling lab MUST charge this rate.

Please begin your discussions with Eric Lyons. However, all transactions involving money to CoGe are administered through UC-Berkeley, and will comply with all applicable rules and regulations. All funds collected will support CoGe.

CoGe website: http://synteny.cnr.berkeley.edu/CoGe /

Freeling lab websites: http://plantbio.berkeley.edu/~freeling/labweb/welcome.html