This paper presents an overview of computing and networking facilities developed by the Medical Research Council to provide online computing support to the Human Genome Mapping Project (HGMP) in the UK. The facility is connected to a number of other computing facilities in various centres of genetics and molecular biology research excellence, either directly via high-speed links or through national and international wide-area networks. The paper describes the design and implementation of the current system, a 'client/server' network of Sun, IBM, DEC and Apple servers, gateways and workstations. A short outline of online computing services currently delivered by this system to the UK human genetics research community is also provided. More information about the services and their availability could be obtained by a direct approach to the UK HGMP-RC.

The paper describes a procedure for updating the EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg) database of nucleic acid sequences and its indexes used by the University of Wisconsin Genetics Computer Group (GCG) software package, using updated entries for this database distributed via EMBNet. At present the procedure is being run on a MRC Clinical Research Centre's (CRC) SUN 4/280 server using SUNOS version 4.0.1 operating system.