India's High-Tech Leap: ICMR Unveils 'Nakshatra' HPC Facility
ICMR inaugurated its first High Performance Computing facility at NIV, Pune, enhancing India's genomic and bioinformatics capabilities. Named 'Nakshatra', the facility is part of PM ABHIM and aims to revolutionize data processing for pandemic preparedness. The HPC cluster features 700 cores, 1 petabyte storage, and future applications in AI-driven drug discovery.
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The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) marked a strategic advancement in India's public health research by inaugurating its first High Performance Computing (HPC) facility at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. The facility, dubbed 'Nakshatra', was officially launched by Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research and Director General of ICMR.
Developed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, this HPC facility serves as a cornerstone of the 'High Performance Computing Next Generation Sequencing Hub'. Its key objective is to revolutionize genomic and bioinformatics data processing, overcoming challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic with outdated computing resources. Dr. Bahl highlighted the vital role of enhanced computing in fortifying India's pandemic readiness and public health responses as part of the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision.
Dr. Naveen Kumar, Director of ICMR-NIV, underlined the HPC cluster's importance for rapid data-led outbreak responses. Dr. Sarah Cherian, Principal Investigator, detailed the facility's twelve compute nodes, 700 cores, and 1 petabyte storage, supporting complex bioinformatics workflows like next-generation sequencing (NGS). Initially aiding five ICMR institutes, the facility will soon assist Viral Research Labs nationwide, boosting AI-driven drug and vaccine discoveries, crucial for swift disease threat detection and outbreak management.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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