Biocad starts own DPC

The biotechnology company BIOCAD in June, 2016 starts own ^[1]. Computing powers will be by the end of 2016 268 TFLOPS. The DPC first of all, is necessary for acceleration of work on creation of 30 revolutionary medicines within the MabNext project. It drugs of new generation against severe forms of cancer, autoimmune and other diseases. Investments into the project until the end of the year will make about 100 million rubles.

Production of biotechnology company BIOCAD, Neudorf, St. Petersburg SEZ

The DPC is modular in what its big advantage: assembly of World Data Centres on the platform takes only about a week. Modules are made at the partner plant, and already assembly happens on BIOCAD territory. By the end of 2016 the company is going to increase a cluster of unspecialized calculations twice to 16 nodes and 48 graphic accelerators. Now – 8 nodes and 24 graphic accelerators. When waiting such loading BIOCAD made the decision on creation of own DPC.

In 15 years in the company the large volume of data, for example, various information on antibodies more than 1000 people and also lamas – animals who have never cancer was saved up. All these huge arrays of information need to be arranged and made available to easy and fast analytics the computer. At such volume not enough simple algorithms, modern methods of machine learning or in other words elements of "artificial intelligence" are necessary. And BIOCAD now actively these technicians implements.

In 2015 the company developed own intellectual platform which connected technologies of mathematical modeling and new level of synthesis of genes, in plans was to develop the platform to the level of artificial intelligence. Now it is gradually visible as these plans are realized. And start of new DPC – a step on the way to creation of such system.

These computing powers are directed, first of all, to carrying out complex structural analysis of molecules. To create medicine, it is necessary to touch more than 1 million natural molecules. Moreover properties of a required molecule can be artificially finished or improved that medicine became more effective and safer. At first the analysis is carried out on the computer and only then goes to laboratories that saves a lot of time.

Computing powers will allow to accelerate processes of analytics many times. So, if earlier time for collection of information and the short description of the amino-acid sequence of target antibodies for treatment of diseases left more than 2 weeks, then now using new computing powers will be only several tens of minutes are spent. Time was reduced in hundreds of thousands of times. Means much quicker, it will be possible to create new medicines, and Russians first-ever will receive drugs of new generation.

Also BIOCAD upgraded architecture. Now it is under construction on the basis of OpenComputeProject which was initially developed by Facebook for own needs. It is distinguished by the high density of the equipment, energy efficiency and low cost in comparison with classical solutions.