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Super computers will help find health breakthroughs
Super computers will help find health breakthroughs,
US expert says
December 1,
2013
An international computer science expert will
explain in Christchurch later this month how supercomputers
can be used to help solve science and engineering issues,
including health problems.
Professor Martin Berzins
of the University of Utah will give a public lecture at the
University of Canterbury (UC) on December 10. He will show
how massive computing power can be harnessed to answer
science and engineering questions.
``One clear
application lies in using New Zealand flora and fauna that
includes proteins which can help treat people's illnesses,"
Professor Berzins says.
``By having in NZ
supercomputing capacity we can gain leverage by linking to
the massive computing power of national labs in the US, such
as Argonne.
`I'll talk about how the beginnings of
a materials-by-design approach may be implemented on
petascale computers capable of more than 10 to the power of
15 calculations a second. Such capacity makes it possible to
design new materials or compounds entirely on
supercomputers.
``New Zealand researchers could use
massive computers to find out how specific proteins in New
Zealand plants can help in treating illnesses by providing
new drugs.''
Professor Berzins' visit to UC is part
of an exchange of information with New Zealand researchers
who use the Bluefern IBM computer at the University of
Canterbury to help solve challenging computational
problems.
The use of computers such as Bluefern
together with approaches such as prescribed by Professor
Berzins, makes it possible for researchers to write software
that can be used on the largest computers in the world.
Future and more powerful computers could help solve problems
such as the discovery of new materials or
drugs.
``Our collaboration with top researchers
like UC's Professor Tim David helps all of us produce and
find solutions,'' Professor Berzins says.
``We have
already carried out some research here at UC. Without the
Bluefern, UC experts would never be able to participate in
world-class
research.''
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