NGS IEG: Cloud Computing for Bioinformatics
SUBJECT: NGS IEG April 16th - Cloud Computing for Bioinformatics
Greetings!
We all use it, but what is actually behind the curtains of cloud computing in the bioinformatics space 🔬 💻? Join us this April to find out! This April, we are hosting Dr. Alice Fulton, founder of Carolina Cloud, a Chapel Hill based cloud computing company with high performance, dedicated machines, and southern hospitality for local cloud residents. See the talk details below.
Title: Cloud Computing for Bioinformatics
Abstract: This talk pulls back the curtain on what's actually happening inside your bioinformatics pipelines at the hardware level and why most researchers pay for resources they never use. Starting from the cloud computing landscape dominated by AWS, GCP, and Azure, it challenges assumptions about what genomics workloads actually need and where the real bottlenecks hide. Through live benchmarking data on alignment, variant calling, protein structure prediction, and quantification pipelines, the talk reveals surprising performance tradeoffs between CPU architecture, memory bandwidth, NUMA topology, and GPU offloading that most users never see. Along the way, it introduces a different approach to cloud infrastructure, one built specifically for the researchers running these workloads. Whether you're spinning up DRAGEN, training models, or just tired of deciphering your AWS bill, you'll leave thinking differently about where your compute dollars go.
Presenter’s bio: Alice Fulton is the founder of Carolina Cloud, a cloud infrastructure company focused on high-performance, cost-effective compute for data-intensive scientific and technical workloads. She holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and completed postdoctoral research at Harvard, with a background spanning genomics, computational biology, and applied data science. Her work sits at the intersection of advanced scientific research and scalable infrastructure, focusing on making powerful cloud compute more accessible to researchers, startups, and technical teams.
Date:
April 16th, 2026
Schedule:
Lunch/social - 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM
Presentation - 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Social hour - 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM
Format: Meeting will be held both virtually and in-person. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
Please RSVP via luma
Add to calendar:
Event Address:
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
15 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park,
NC 27709
Zoom link: https://ncbiotech.zoom.us/j/86440658342?pwd=MU9IckpYQUhHTnV6NE1UcXUvYnNXUT09
Meeting ID: 864 4065 8342
Passcode: 583621
Other NGS IEG info/links:
● The NextGen Sequencing Intellectual Exchange Group (NGS IEG) provides a forum to share methods and technologies driving biotechnology research in North Carolina from both academic and private research groups. NGS IEG provides an excellent networking opportunity for biotech leaders, academics, and students interested in networking with local RTP biotech. We gather industry leaders from the RTP area to share, discuss and review their new technologies, research, and big-data platforms in a casual environment with lunch provided. Related NGS IEG links below:
Website & schedule: https://www.ncbiotech.org/networking/exchange-groups/next-generation-sequencing-group
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9175395/
Slack:https://join.slack.com/t/ngsiegrtp/shared_invite/zt-1jzbjegfp-NaawAc2nhzK~D_Z4DlKMWw