May 23, 2006
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Guardian Unlimited (UK) (04/27/06) Knight, William
Oxford University's Integrative Biology (IB) project is using computer modeling to help scientists and doctors better understand the heart. To create models of the human heart using advanced mathematics, researchers "are looking at many sets of partial differential equations, coupled with parabolic functions, non-linear equations and just under a million unknown parameters," says IB project manager Sharon Lloyd. The human heart is so complex that years ago, computers would require 1 million seconds of running time to duplicate one second of a working human heart. Now with grid-computing and access to the world's most advanced machines, IB can perform similar work in hours. Lloyd says, "The researchers submit code though a portal interface. It puts all the data in the right place and pulls it back when you need to do things with it. It's making the day-to-day life of the scientist a lot easier. Scientists want to focus on the life science without having to think about how these big machines work." The health-care industry has adopted grid computing to some operational needs. Grid computing enables various computers to interlock and combine computing power, says Grid Computing Now project manager Ian Osborne, who notes that most of the technical issues with grid computing have been solved. He says, "The question is one of making industry and government organizations aware of the possibilities."
For the complete article, see http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,1761706,00.html?gusrc=rss
Posted by rab5 at 09:34 AM
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