Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency. BRIN develops INNA, a national DNA and RNA repository launched in January to strengthen research coordination, data security, and food self-sufficiency through integrated genomic data management.
INNA Backs National Research and Food Security Goals
The National Research and Innovation Agency, known as BRIN, develops INNA to support Indonesia’s strategic research priorities, including food self-sufficiency, health innovation, and biodiversity protection.
The platform is designed as a centralized national repository for DNA and RNA sequence data generated by Indonesian researchers. It enables the storage, discovery, and management of large-scale nucleotide sequence datasets while keeping sensitive national research data under domestic governance.
INNA is coordinated by BRIN’s Electronics and Informatics Research Organization and developed through collaboration among multiple BRIN research centers specializing in computing, data science, health, and life sciences.
The initiative was formally presented during a hybrid computational colloquium held Jan. 22 at BRIN facilities in Cibinong, according to an official agency release issued Wednesday.
“Indonesian Nucleotide Archive is developed as a national DNA and RNA repository platform,” said Budi Prawara, head of BRIN’s Electronics and Informatics Research Organization. “It integrates high-performance computing to support complex bioinformatics analysis workflows.”
Platform Combines Repository, Analysis, and Knowledge Systems
INNA is structured around three main components: INNA Repository, INNA Analysis, and INNA Knowledge. Together, they are designed to handle large data submissions and support advanced bioinformatics pipelines, including genome assembly and sequence analysis.
The repository component allows researchers to submit and store nucleotide sequence data at scale. The analysis component integrates high-performance computing infrastructure, enabling researchers to run computationally intensive workflows directly within the platform.
The knowledge component focuses on enriching sample metadata, linking sequence data with detailed contextual information about samples, methods, and research objectives.
BRIN officials say this integrated approach strengthens data traceability and improves the overall quality of national research outputs. Enhanced metadata also supports scientific reproducibility, a growing concern in global research communities.
By standardizing how genomic data is stored and described, INNA aims to reduce duplication of effort and ensure research findings can be validated and reused across institutions and disciplines.
Alignment With Global Standards and FAIR Principles
BRIN develops INNA, designed to align with international metadata standards used in biodiversity, health, and agricultural research. This ensures Indonesian data can interoperate with global genomic databases while remaining securely managed at the national level.
The platform emphasizes the FAIR principles, meaning data should be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Security and ethical compliance are also core priorities, particularly given the sensitivity of genetic and biological data.
“Global credibility requires secure infrastructure, strong governance, and ethical safeguards,” one BRIN researcher involved in the project said. “INNA is built to meet those expectations while serving national interests first.”
Officials say INNA positions Indonesia to play a more active role in the global genomic data ecosystem, contributing high-quality data while maintaining sovereignty over nationally generated research assets.
The platform is expected to deliver long-term benefits by ensuring research data remains usable, interoperable, and valuable for future scientific and policy needs, particularly in food security and public health.
