01.12.2020

Leading supercomputer cluster starts operations at IMBA and the Vienna BioCenter

Not every cluster that is popping up these days is a bad thing: located right in the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, the newly installed Cloud Infrastructure Platform (CLIP) is the country’s largest non-university supercomputer cluster. It has embarked on a cross-disciplinary mission, serving scientists from fields as diverse as physics, maths, sound mechanics, space exploration – and of course plenty of life sciences.

Computing power is becoming increasingly important, with the life sciences field being no exception. Frequently used methods such as DNA sequencing, theoretical modelling and scientific visualisations of structures typically require the support of powerful processors.
A High-Performance Computing (HPC) team of Gregor-Mendel-Institute (GMI), Institute of High Energy Physics (HEPHY), Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Stefan Meyer Institute (SMI) – all institutes of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, ÖAW – and the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), joined forces at the Vienna BioCenter to establish the cloud infrastructure platform “CLIP”, a supercomputer cluster that improves computing speed manyfold. Thanks to CLIP, every scientist who uses so-called “in silico” methods – complex simulations –has the opportunity of a one-of-a-kind supercomputer at her or his fingertips – no matter the location of their laboratory. This includes research fields ranging from geology to physics, mathematics and even aerospace research.

Read what IMBA group leader Anton Goloborodko has to say, together with the full story, on the Vienna BioCenter website.

 

About IMBA
IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology - is one of the leading biomedical research institutes in Europe focusing on cutting-edge stem cell technologies, functional genomics, and RNA biology. IMBA is located at the Vienna BioCenter, the vibrant cluster of universities, research institutes and biotech companies in Austria. IMBA is a subsidiary of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the leading national sponsor of non-university academic research. The stem cell and organoid research at IMBA is being funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and the City of Vienna.