In modern biomedical research, you often need to analyze very large datasets. This may require computing and storage capacity that exceeds what you have available locally. Working in a cloud environment where you can provision nearly limitless computing power, gain access to enormous data sets, and pay for only what you need is a great option in these cases.
To help with these tasks, NCBI is now providing a Docker version of NCBI BLAST that you can use on the cloud. This implementation will help you work with large volumes of sequence data and the set of NCBI BLAST databases. The BLAST Docker image makes using BLAST on the cloud much more convenient.
- Installation and maintenance of the BLAST programs and databases is all handled by Docker.
- Integration with other tools in your pipelines is easier.
- NCBI BLAST databases are pre-loaded on the Google Cloud, providing fast access.
While we have tested the Docker image on the Google Cloud, the Docker image will allow BLAST to run equally well on any Docker-enabled platform, such as another cloud platform or on your local computer — and you can still can use the cloud-installed BLAST databases.
See the BLAST in the Cloud and database information documentation to get started.