SATurn is a modular, open-source, bioinformatics platform designed to specifically address the problems of maintenance and longevity commonly associated with the development of simple tools funded by academic research grants. Applications developed in SATurn can be deployed as web-based tools, standalone applications or hybrid tools which have the benefits of both. Within the Structural Genomics Consortium we have utilized SATurn to create a bioinformatics portal which routinely supports a diverse group of scientists including those interested in structural biology, cloning, glycobiology and chemical biology.