What is the BioSuperComputing Research Community?
Recently, rapid advances are being made both in Japan and abroad in computational bioscience, in which individual phenomena of living matters are comprehensively studied and predicted by means of computer simulation and large-scale data analysis. In the midst of such a trend, likeminded researchers joined and launched a research community called the “BioSuperComputing Research Community (BSCRC),” aiming at developing this research area, which can be notably developed only through the use of supercomputers with speeds in excess of one PetaFlops.
The “BioSuperComputing Research Community (BSCRC)” was fi rst proposed by the BSCRC establishment preparation committee in December 2008 and launched by the founding members with a large membership of 81 (as of May 2009) on July 1, 2009.
BSCRC is interested in a wide area of computational bioscience research at various levels such as individuals, organs, tissues, cells and molecules, as well as comprehensive research integrating the above research areas. It aims at creating and fostering opportunities to get together to share experiences and ideas among researchers from various fi elds such as medicine, cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, pharmacology, chemistry, physics, engineering and informatics from industry, government and academia. The promotion of international collaboration and the provision of information is another aim. The community already boasts approximately 100 participating members.
While envisaging the progress of the “Next-Generation Integrated Simulation of Living Matter,” BSCRC aims at undertaking activities to assist the academic culture of new bioscience that utilizes supercomputers to fl ourish from a broader and longer-term standpoint. It plans to contribute to the joining forces of specialists, especially young researchers, at universities, research institutions and private enterprises in various fields of study. For more information about the BSCRC, see the BSCRC web page (http://www. bscrc.jp).
The fi rst general meeting of the BioSuperComputing Research Community
was held on October 8, 2009, two and half months after the foundation.
In spite of stopped traffic in Tokyo by a typhoon, a large number of
members attended.
The following fi ve persons out of the establishment preparation committee
were elected as the fi rst BSCRC board members.
| Chairman | Haruki Nakamura | Professor and Director of Research Center of Structural and Functional Proteomics, Laboratory of Protein Informatics, Osaka University |
|---|---|---|
| Vice Chairman |
Ryutaro Himeno | Director of Advanced Center for Computing and Communication, Group Director of R&D group of Next Generation Supercomputer R&D Center, Deputy Program Director of Computational Science Research Program, RIKEN |
| Executive Board Members |
Yutaka Akiyama | Professor of Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology |
| Akinori Kidera | Professor of Department of Supramolecular Biology, Yokohama City University |
|
| Makoto Suematsu | Professor and Dean of School of Medicine, Keio University |
At the fi rst general meeting, the following proposal made by the executive board was approved, which is that annual member fee is waived for a certain time since the community is very young, and some fees are set for participating in lectures and seminars held by the community. Meanwhile, there was a discussion about the importance of collecting annual fees for stabilizing the operation of BSCRC and enhancing its research programs at the fi rst general meeting. The executive board follows the discussions.
BioSuperComputing Committee (URL: http://www.bscrc.jp )
BioSupercomputing Newsletter Vol.2
- SPECIAL INTERVIEW
- Aiming to Become a Global Trendsetter in the Life Sciences by Making the Best Use of the Next-generation Supercomputer!
Computational Science Research Program Deputy Program Director
Ryutaro HIMENO
- A Message from the Team Leader
- Simulating Cell Phenomena by Recreating Cells as They Exist in Living Organisms
Cell Scale Team Team Leader
Hideo YOKOTA - Create a Brain on a Supercomputer to Unravel the Functions of the Brain and Nervous System
Brain and Neural Systems Team Team Leader
Shin ISHII - High-performance Computing Environment to Maximize the Potential of the Next-generation Supercomputer
High-performance Computing Team Team Leader
Makoto TAIJI
- Report on Research
- Protein Reaction Simulation Based on All-electron Calculation
Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo
Fumitoshi SATO / Toshiyuki HIRANO / Noriko UEMURA / Naoki TSUNEKAWA / Junichi MATSUDA - Full Eulerian Fluid-structure Coupled Method
Associate Professor at School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo
Kazuyasu SUGIYAMA - A Large-scale Simulation Model of Cortical Microcircuits: CMDN(Cortical Microcircuit Developed on NEST)
Brain and Neural System Team
Jun IGARASHI - Development of Next-generation Molecular Dynamics Simulation Programs
High-performance Computing Team
Hiroshi KOYAMA / Yosuke OHNO / Gen MASUMOTO / Aki HASEGAWA / Gentaro MORIMOTO