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The initiative will contribute in studies to develop medication and vaccines against the coronavirus
Petrobras will direct part of the processing capacity of high performance computers (HPC) – the so-called “supercomputers†– in order to collaborate with research in fighting the coronavirus, in a partnership with the Chemistry Department of Stanford University, USA. The goal is to contribute to the Folding@home Project, coordinated by this institution, dedicated to the study of the coronavirus behavior in the human body and how the disease progresses, from the interaction of viral proteins, making way for for the development of medication and vaccines. Among other advancements, this project has already helped in identifying the protein which links the Covid-19 to human cells.
Up to two supercomputers in Petrobras’ service may have their processing capacity redirected to these researches: the Santos Dumont, Latin America’s largest supercomputer, located in the National Scientific Computing Lab (Laboratório Nacional de Computação CientÃfica – LNCC), in Petrópolis (RJ), which recently had its capacity enhanced by collaboration with another lab, the company and its partners in the Libra Consortium; and OBGON, result of the partnership with Senai-Cimatec, installed in Salvador (BA). For the initiative, the company acts to mobilize 60% of Santos Dumont’s capacity – 2 petaflops (equivalent to the computational capacity of 2 million laptops), in addition to 50% of Senai-Cimatec capacity, corresponding to one petaflop (1 million laptops).
FOTOÂ ALAOR FILHO / PETROBRAS NEWS AGENCY
The use of these supercomputers allows for accelerating the simulation time in order for researchers to achieve results faster in their research. “We have created a broad scientific front in Petrobras in order to raise solutions and ideas to fight the coronavirus. We are developing simple and agile solutions, as in the case of our supercomputers for the Folding@home project, through which we managed to direct the processing capacity of these supercomputers to the universitiesâ€, explains Petrobras Innovation and Digital Transformation Director Nicolas Simone.
In addition to this initiative, Petrobras will mobilize its high performance computational resources for research projects of Brazilian universities in fighting coronavirus. One of the potential projects, in a partnership with both PUC-Rio and Senai-Cimatec, is the use of artificial intelligence techniques (deep learning) in order to help differentiate the X-ray exam of a regular flu patient and the X-ray exam of a coronavirus patient. The algorithms create repetition patterns and, by comparing the data, it is possible to arrive at a diagnosis. It is a test cheaper and faster than, for example, tomography and PCR blood exams.
These initiatives integrate a broad front led by Petrobras, which is mobilizing its professionals from various fields of knowledge that may contribute in fighting the coronavirus – in partnership with universities, companies, social organizations, Brazilian and foreign institutions. Its goal is to propose solutions that may use the company’s technological structure, equipment and technical consulting in order to aid the effort in fighting the pandemic, in the prevention, treatment and hospital support fronts.
In the same way, Petrobras is also dedicated to initiatives such as donation supply to institutions – including, for instance, safety and hygiene items to the UFRJ hospital – and mobilizing its structures for storage, among others.
Launched in 2000, the Folding@home project is a consortium which gathers academic institutions and several North American research labs from a computer platform in order to allow for simulation of several projects submitted by researchers from all over the world. The project has since managed, among other advancements, identifying an opportunity for Ebola virus treatment, until then considered incurable, by means of computer simulations and later experimentation. The project now seeks to develop medication for the coronavirus.
Source: Petrobras
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