SBCloud: A Cloud-Based Platform for Structure Determination and Data Storage

TL;DR

SBCloud is a cloud-based platform designed to manage and analyze large structural biology datasets, addressing storage and processing challenges.

Contribution

The paper introduces SBCloud, a specialized cloud platform for structural biology data management and analysis.

Findings

Cloud computing provides scalable storage and processing for large structural biology datasets.

SBCloud helps reduce bottlenecks in data collection pipelines for shared facilities and industry.

Cost management and effective cloud strategies are critical for handling macromolecular structure determination.

Abstract

Structural biology generates vast amounts of data, particularly in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), and X- ray diffraction. Modern detectors produce many terabytes of data per day and require resource-intensive processing, often with specialized hardware. This data deluge creates significant challenges for storage and timely analysis. High-performance data storage systems are required for continuous data collection and processing, but are costly to purchase and maintain and thus may not be available to many research groups. Cloud computing offers a scalable alternative here, providing near-infinite storage and on-demand processing power without the requirements of maintaining local hardware. This can be advantageous for shared resource facilities and industry environments where eliminating bottlenecks in data collection pipelines is crucial. In response to the growing adoption of cloud-based data storage, SBGrid has developed a platform specifically designed for structural biology data management and analysis in the cloud. We will discuss the challenges of managing large datasets in structural biology and strategies we have implemented for throughput, processing and storage. We will explore effective use of cloud platforms for large datasets, cost management strategies, and the benefits and limitations of cloud infrastructure for macromolecular structure determination.