Treatments for the pandemic are still in development, but researchers aren’t relying on human intelligence alone. Supercomputers are being utilized to maximize resources for research and to minimize time. This article explores the benefits that supercomputers have to offer when it comes to fighting the pandemic.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.techrepublic.com
COVID-19 research is one of our society’s upmost priorities during this uncertain time, and quick results are vital. According to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), researchers have employed the fastest computers in the world to help generate answers with greater speed.
Supercomputers can keep pace with how quickly and where the virus is spreading. This aids steps that are being taken to decrease its prevalence, as these computers can pick out patterns in the virus’ movement to determine where cases will next appear. They can also study how effective the preventive measures that are currently in place are, such as social distancing.
Supercomputers also give researchers a window into the virus’ structure, allowing them to better discern what treatments will best defend against the virus and to gain more insight into vaccine development. Medical equipment is also being properly allotted to different medical centers with the help of supercomputers, reducing hospitals’ risk of running short of needed equipment.
The NCSA cemented its current focus on COVID-19 research with its membership in the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium. Furthermore, NCSA’s executive director for science and technology, John Towns, chairs a committee whose purpose is to review researchers’ proposals and, if deemed appropriate, to fit proposed projects with the correct resources.
One recipient of these resources with hope high for its success is the University of Utah’s team of researchers. They intend to use the Blue Waters supercomputer, along with other technology, “to design novel peptidic inhibitors of the COVID-19 main protease…”, as stated by the consortium website. If the researchers succeed, they could determine how to stop the protease from functioning properly, fighting the virus as a result.
Towns breaks the supercomputers’ abilities to further COVID-19 research into three areas of focus: “[u]nderstanding protein structures and how the virus got into human cells,” “[t]herapeutics and how to develop and apple antiviral drugs,” and “[t]reating and managing patients.” Supercomputers are technically capable of simulating COVID-19, a necessary component to this research. These computers have already made great strides in studying how the virus find its way into cells and in researching how effective previously developed treatments are on fighting COVID-19.
For more information about how supercomputers are adding to COVID-19 research, visit the source content at the TechRepublic website.
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