Computation and Visualization High-end graphics

A snapshot of a molecular dynamics simulation of a membrane-spaning polypeptide, used in a transmembrane signaling study

In June Memorial announced the opening of the Advanced Computation and Visualization Centre (CVC), the most powerful research computer system in Atlantic Canada.

The CVC gives researchers unprecedented access to parallel computing and high-end graphics capabilities, useful for numerical modelling and simulation - an emerging and increasingly popular way for scientists to visualize complex processes or structures.

Silicon Graphics Onxy 3400

"Memorial's new Advanced Computation and Visualization Centre is an important step forward in our pursuit of excellence in research. It also addresses the university's objective to serve its community, providing local research-driven companies and entrepreneurs with access to computing capabilities previously unavailable or prohibitively expensive," said President Meisen.

The CVC is part of a Canadian network of high performance computer centers, which gives researchers the benefit of tapping into the computational system best suited to their work. The main computer in Memorial's CVC is a Silicon Graphics Onyx 3400 with 28 processors and high-end graphics capabilities. The Onyx 3400 is augmented by three other SGI workstations located within the center, as well as three others distributed across Memorial's campus. As well, a networked CVC computer is located at each of the following universities: St. Francis-Xavier, The University of New Brunswick, and the University of Prince Edward Island.

Core funding for the CVC, in the amount of approximately $680,000, was won by a team led by Dr. Whitmore in a national competition held by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Additional capital and operating contributions were obtained from eight other partner organizations: Canada/NF Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement (CEDA), Canada/NF Agreement on Economic Renewal, National Research Council, Operation ONLINE Inc, Silicon Graphics, Inc., St. Francis-Xavier, University of New Brunswick, and University of Prince Edward Island .

Advanced Computation and Visualization Centre

The Advanced Computations and Visualization Centre is located in the Chemistry/Physics Building, C-3011. More information about the facility and how to obtain a CVC account is available on the CVC Web site at www.cvc.mun.ca.