Introduction to the Terra/AnVIL Cloud-based Genomics Platform

Instructor names and contact information

Sehyun Oh* [1]
Levi Waldron* [1]
Jennifer Wokaty [1]
Lori Shepherd [2]
Kayla Interdonato [2]
Marcel Ramos [2]
Martin Morgan [2]
Nitesh Turaga [3]
BJ Stubbs [3]
Vince Carey [3]

[1] CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, New York, 10027, USA
[2] Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, 14203, USA
[3] Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA

Workshop Description

The rapidly growing size of genomic datasets introduces challenges of data transfer, storage, access, sharing, and computing. In this workshop, we introduce cloud-based genomics platform Terra as a potential solution. Terra hosts large-scale genomic and genomic-related data sets and provide secure remote access to them and to individually uploaded data resources. Terra also provides on-demand computational capacity through Google Cloud Platform, and interactive analysis interfaces such as Jupyter notebook and RStudio. Users can run best practice tools and pipelines already implemented or upload their own data or analysis methods to workspaces. Workshop participants will learn how to use Terra through the use-case examples, instructor-led live demonstration, and the Bioconductor AnVIL package.

This workshop is supported by the NHGRI Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization and Informatics Lab-space (AnVIL)

Pre-requisites

  • Basic knowledge of R syntax
  • [Optional] Terra account setup
  1. Visit https://anvil.terra.bio/#
  2. Select the ‘HAMBURGER’ menu in the top left corner
  3. Choose ‘Sign in with Google’

Sign-in

Workshop Participation

Participants will have the opportunity to access a pre-populated Terra workspace and run examples.

R / Bioconductor packages used

Time outline

Activity Time
Account Setup 10m
Overview 15m
Use Cases 15m
Live Demo 20m
Hands-on Session 30m

Learning Goals

  • Gain familiarity with cloud-based genomics platforms
  • Learn how to access data sets and tools provided through Terra
  • Learn how to use interactive analysis apps, including group sharing of a workspace and billing
  • Understand the benefit and shortcoming of Terra

Specific objectives

  • Setup Terra account
  • Clone a public/sharable workspace
  • Create a new workspace and import datasets/ workflows/ notebooks
  • Use Jupyter notebook and RStudio in Terra
  • Use AnVIL package to access Terra and R/Bioconductor resource

Acknowledgement

Funding

NHGRI supports AnVIL through cooperative agreement awards to the Broad Institute (#5U24HG010262) and Johns Hopkins University (#5U24HG010263).