NAKSHATRA Latest News
Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has introduced its first high-performance computing facility NAKSHATRA at its National Institute of Virology (NIV) facility in Pune.
About NAKSHATRA
- It is the state-of-the-art high performance computing (HPC) cluster for virological research.
- The NAKSHATRA cluster includes 12 compute nodes, 700 cores, and a total storage capacity of 1 petabyte.
- It will support advanced bioinformatics workflows such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), transcriptomics, metagenomics, phylogenetics, and structural bioinformatics.
- It enables enhanced storage and optimises the pipeline for genomic research, which ensures better viral genomic surveillance capacity and national preparedness for any future pandemic.Â
- The facility supports faster analysis of complex genomic data, allowing scientists to detect new disease threats sooner, respond to outbreaks more efficiently, and accelerate AI-driven vaccine and drug development.
- Developed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM), the facility forms the cornerstone of a new project, called the High Performance Computing Next Generation Sequencing Hub.
- The facility will also act as a central repository for sequencing data and extend support to Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs). Initially, it will cater to five ICMR institutes across the country.
Significance of NAKSHATRA Facility
- Previously sequence analysis using multiple strains which used to take weeks with the upgrade researchers can do the same work in 24 to 48 hours.
- It has increased the capability of our country for genomic surveillance, which will help us in pandemic preparedness.
Source: TH
NAKSHATRA FAQs
Q1: What is high performance computing used for?
Ans: HPC is used in academic and scientific research to perform analysis and computation of large datasets, such as astronomical data from satellites and telescopes, creating new materials, discovering new drugs, or modeling proteins.
Q2: What do you mean by virology?
Ans: Virology is the scientific study of viruses, including their molecular biology, structure, interactions with hosts, and the diseases they cause.
Q3: What is the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)?
Ans: It is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. It is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. Its vision is to translate their research into action for improving the health of the population.
