Buffalo News, The (NY)

February 19, 2005

SUPERCOMPUTER GETTING UPGRADE
UB CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH IS NOW UNDER THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN BIOINFORMATICS

Author: Fred O. Williams - NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER

Edition: FINAL
Section: BUSINESS
Page: D-7

Estimated printed pages: 4

Article Text:

The supercomputer center at the University at Buffalo is getting $2.3 million for new hardware, a long-sought upgrade that will quadruple its number-crunching power, university officials said.

But there's a snag. The Center for Computational Research also faces a 50 percent cut in its operating budget from the state over the next three years.

It has also been put under the authority of state's Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. That gives a boost to the high-profile bioscience center, but makes some non-biologists nervous about getting computer time for their projects.

The changes were outlined by Provost Satish K. Tripathi in a memo to administrators last week.

"I think it will be good for both centers," Tripathi said of the reorganization. The computational center -- whose Dell "cluster" is ranked as the world's 123rd most powerful computer -- is integral to bioinformatics research, he said.

As part of the reorganization, some computers may move from the main campus in Amherst to the bioinformatics center's building under construction near downtown Buffalo, he said. A fiber-optic cable connects the two sites, allowing users in one location to run machines in the other.

The reorganization marks the second move under UB president John Simpson to expand the bioinformatics center. In April, the university announced an increase in the center's staff from six to 50 and the appointment of administrator Bruce Holm as its director.

Having in-house supercomputer power should help attract researchers and corporate partners for the bioinformatics center, Holm said.

Powerful computers are fundamental not only for bioinformatic research, but also for attracting grants to pay for it, he added. "When you apply for funding, you're able to say you have all of these pieces already in place," Holm said.

Boosters of biotechnology business development applauded the latest move. Harnessing high-end computing within bioinformatics "makes a lot of sense," said Marnie LaVigne, director of business development for Bufflink. Other institutions like Columbia University's biomedical informatics department have in-house computer resources, she said.

But critics worry that the university is building up bioinformatics at the expense of its broader research capability.

"A facility like this (computer center) should be compared to the library," said Philip Coppens, distinguished professor of chemistry. "It's an infrastructure that supports the whole university."

With a staff of 18 and banks of computers from Dell, SGI and other makers, the supercomputer center equals the capacity of thousands of desktop PCs. Its digital models of the natural world provide insights into earthquakes and groundwater flows as well as the intricate shapes of protein strands that are keys to human biology.

"The (computer) center is a very important resource -- it's not just the computers, it's the people," said Andrei Reinhorn, professor of structural engineering. His work on earthquake-resistant buildings relies on computer modeling.

Having access to the center -- and its know-how at using computers to answer scientific questions -- helps win research grants, Reinhorn said. "The leverage of this service is more important than the service itself," he said.

The $2.3 million for upgrades to will boost its number-crunching power to between 10 and 15 trillion operations per second, said Russ Miller, director of the supercomputing center. He is talking with equipment makers now, and the new hardware could be online in about 10 weeks.

Longer-term, the budget cut will reduce the state's approximately $1.4 million in operating support by 50 percent over three years.

Tripathi said that researchers who benefit from the center will be called on to pump in more of the funding from their research grants. Currently the top 10 users absorb 93 percent of computer time, indicating the center should broaden its support base, he said.

Miller said the center has generated $411,000 a year on average from users and other partners to support operations.

"Certainly we'll make every effort to support our users to the best of our ability" within the reduced budget, Miller said. The center supports projects at about 100 research groups as well as 20 companies and institutions in the region, he said.

The Center for Computational Research switched on in 1999, converting what had been a cafeteria in Norton Hall into a forest of humming electronic boxes.

The bioinformatics research center was created in 2001 by Gov. George Pataki to study gene-based clues to diagnosing and treating disease. Crews are finishing its building on Virginia Street in Buffalo, with completion expected this fall.

Holm said he expects a decision shortly on whether to move some or all of the computer center's staff and equipment to the new building.

Tripathi said a committee including faculty will be formed to write rules for sharing the supercomputer resources, and Holm said he doesn't foresee problems with continuing to share the computer center's resources across the campus.

"There is never a faculty member at any institution that is 100 percent happy with their place in line," he said. But "I can guarantee that (other UB researchers) won't become second-class citizens" when it comes to handing out computer time.

e-mail: fwilliams@buffnews.com

Caption:
Elizabeth A. Mundschenk/Buffalo News
Bruce Holm is executive director of the Center of Excellence in
Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.
Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News
Research assistant Martin Innus works on UB's supercomputer.