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September 20, 2023

Super Computers and Biophysics

NSF-supported researchers at Auburn University are shining a light on the role of supercomputers in transforming the landscape of biophysics.

Credit: U.S. National Science Foundation


The next generation of super computers are revolutionizing the world around us, transforming scientific approaches, and opening new doors of possibility. We'll explore the impact of supercomputers on the field of Biophysics in the U.S. National Science Foundation's "Discovery Files."

Over the last century, theoretical models have broadly guided new experiments across the sciences. Advances in software and specialized hardware in the computer era have fostered a technological explosion and are changing the way fundamental questions are being approached.

NSF-Supported researchers at Auburn University are shining a light on the role of super computers in transforming the landscape of biophysics.

The computational power of advanced high-performance computers is allowing new perspectives for discovery with unprecedented precision. Today it is possible for computational biophysicists to go beyond the possibilities of lab experiments and simulate complex biological processes from subatomic to whole-cell scales.

From microbiomes to pathogens, the momentum of integrating AI resources into these experimental and computational efforts is pushing modeling possibilities forward in leaps and bounds.

The researchers say the groundwork being laid with these advances is expected to "redefine the frontiers of knowledge." The next generation of exascale computing will pave the road to unprecedented discoveries that will reshape our very understanding of the biological world.

To hear more science and engineering news, including the researchers making it, subscribe to "NSF's Discovery Files" podcast.


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