New Supercomputer for Neuroscience: NEMO cluster is now ready for use
Theresia Bauer, Peter Grathwohl, Gerhard Schneider, and Hans-Jochen Schiewer celebrate the inauguration of NEMO. Image by Patrick Seeger
The Freiburg machine is called NEMO, after the disciplines of Neuroscience, Elementary Particle Physics, and Microsystems Engineering. Researchers from these fields are the envisaged user communities. NEMO consists of 750 computing nodes with 20 processing units each, also known as “cores.” It is currently ranked number 214 on the TOP500 list of the world’s top supercomputers.
“With Microsystems Engineering, Neuroscience and Particle Physics, our supercomputer in Freiburg focuses on key disciplines of the University of Freiburg that are particularly strong in research,” said Hans-Jochen Schiewer, Rector of Freiburg University.
Researchers from the Bernstein Center Freiburg have been using large computers for their work in the field of Computational Neuroscience early on. The two main applications are “neuronal data analysis” and “large-scale neuronal network simulations”. Many research papers have been published since then, documenting the scientific progress made thanks to this technology. Future research and innovation in Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology as well depends critically on the availability of an up-to-date scientific computing infrastructure.
Simulating even a very tiny part of the brain can be a very complex and time-consuming endeavor, depending on the amount of biological detail accounted for. With NEMO’s ability to conduct a very large number of computing tasks in parallel and at the same time, with more than 15 000 cores at their disposal, the neuroscientists anticipate to be able to open up new avenues. “The extraordinary computing capacity allows us to seek answers to questions, which previously we would not even have considered asking,” says Stefan Rotter, Director of the Bernstein Center Freiburg. One of the future challenges to be studied with the help of NEMO are brain networks that continuously change and reorganize, either as part of their normal function, or in diseased states.
Together, the State of Baden-Württemberg and the German Research Foundation (DFG) have invested more than six million Euro in the two supercomputers in equal shares. “Our funding decision ensures that Baden-Württemberg maintains and expands its role as an international leader in engineering sciences and related high-technology areas,” Theresia Bauer, Minister of Science, Research and the Arts of the State of Baden-Württemberg, concluded.