NAKSHATRA: Transforming Virological Research with High Performance Computing
The NAKSHATRA high performance computing cluster, launched by the National Institute of Virology, is revolutionizing genomic data analysis, enabling faster detection of disease threats. As a part of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, it enhances India's pandemic preparedness and supports AI-driven vaccine and drug development.
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The National Institute of Virology has unveiled a new high performance computing cluster, NAKSHATRA, to enhance the analysis of complex genomic data, providing a faster response to emerging disease threats. This state-of-the-art facility, launched under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, aims to remedy the computational limitations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Director of the Institute, Dr. Naveen Kumar, highlighted the HPC cluster's critical role in expediting data-driven responses to potential outbreaks. Its advanced capabilities reduce the time needed for large-scale genomic analyses from months to merely 24-48 hours, significantly boosting India's ability to ensure genomic surveillance and preparedness.
Dr. Sarah Cherian, leading the Bioinformatics and Data Management Group, elaborated on the cluster's 12 compute nodes, offering 700 cores and 1 petabyte of storage, capable of supporting complex bioinformatics workflows. The facility will initially benefit five ICMR institutes, centralizing sequencing data and extending support to national Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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