Welcome to the thirteenth annual Rocky Mountain Bioinformatics Conference, a meeting of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB). The organizers hope that you enjoy the program, and find the conference a productive opportunity to meet researchers, students and industrial users of bioinformatics technology. The Rocky series began thirteen years ago as a regional conference, and has grown into an international program with a spotlight on regional development in the computational biosciences. The presenters of the Rocky conference are scientists representing a broad spectrum of universities, industrial enterprises, government laboratories, and medical libraries from around the world. The meeting is a chance to get to know your colleagues near and far, seek collaborative opportunities, and find synergies that can drive our field forward. We hope you enjoy the science, the company, and the spectacular scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Welcome!