ARCHIVED: What is BLAST, and where is it installed on XSEDE?

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The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is a biology database search tool designed to find regions of local similarity between protein sequences. The program compares nucleotide or protein sequences to sequence databases and calculates the statistical significance of matches. BLAST can be used to infer functional and evolutionary relationships between sequences, as well as to help identify members of gene families. For more, see BLAST website.

To determine which Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) digital services have this application installed, use the XSEDE User Portal Software Search. Enter the application name in the Search software box. As you type, search results (i.e., systems with that application installed) are returned automatically. To list all available applications, leave the Search software box empty, and then sort the results by digital service (click Resources), category (click Science Category/Domain), or Service Provider (click Sites).

Similarly, to determine whether an XSEDE Science Gateway provides access to this application, use the search tool on the Gateway Applications page in the XSEDE User Portal.

If this application is not listed, most likely it is not installed on any XSEDE digital services nor accessible from any XSEDE Science Gateways. If a scientific application that is integral to your research is not available, or if a necessary module associated with an installed package is not available, contact the XSEDE Help Desk to request its installation.

This document was developed with support from National Science Foundation (NSF) grants 1053575 and 1548562. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.