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Supercomputer Fugaku will be used to help fight against COVID-19

UPDATE
[November 25, 2020] A new project entitled "Host genetic analysis for severe COVID-19" has been added. See the announcement.

RIKEN, in coordination with the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), has announced that the supercomputer Fugaku will be made available for research projects aimed to combat COVID-19.

Fugaku is currently being installed and is scheduled to be available to the public in 2021. However, faced with the devastating disaster unfolding before our eyes, RIKEN and MEXT decided to make a portion of the computational resources of Fugaku available for COVID-19-related projects ahead of schedule while continuing the installation process.

Fugaku is being developed not only for the progress in science, but also to help build the society dubbed as the “Society 5.0” by the Japanese government, where all people will live safe and comfortable lives. The current initiative to fight against the novel coronavirus is driven by the philosophy behind the development of Fugaku.

Also see the press release by RIKENThe webpage will open in a new tab.

photo:Supercomputer Fugaku (currently being installed)
Supercomputer Fugaku (currently being installed)

Submitting a Research Proposal

The following projects will be eligible to have priority use of the new supercomputer.

  1. Research seeking to reveal the characteristics of the new coronavirus
  2. Research aiming to identify compounds that can be used as therapeutic agents against the coronavirus
  3. Research that could help improve the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19
  4. Projects that can reveal insights into the spread of infections and its socio-economic impact
  5. Other projects that have the potential to contribute to countermeasures against the new coronavirus

If you have a potential research project to use Fugaku, please download and complete the proposal form (a set of WORDThe webpage will open in a new tab. and PPTThe webpage will open in a new tab. files) and send it to:

RIKEN Computational Science Promotion Office

  • mail addressfugaku_covid19_office[at]ml.riken.jp
  • (change “[at]” to “@”)

Please be advised that the installation and optimization of Fugaku is currently undergoing, and users must agree to the following conditions before being permitted to use the computational resources:

  • Only computational resources of Fugaku will be provided (no research funds).
  • Users could only expect a “best-effort” service. The amount and period of available computational resources can vary and can be abruptly reduced or interrupted.
  • As for the user environment, there is no guarantee for the best application performance. User support will also be a “best-effort” service.
  • Users are expected to provide feedback to RIKEN to help improve the system.
  • For any other issues, users must follow instructions of members of RIKEN.

Proposals will be expeditiously reviewed by RIKEN and MEXT, and the applicants will be notified of the decision.

Ongoing Projects

  • Exploring new drug candidates for COVID-19 by "Fugaku"
    Yasushi Okuno, RIKEN / Kyoto University
    Summary Slide （287KB）The pdf will open in a new tab.
  • Prediction of conformational dynamics of proteins on the surface of SARS-Cov-2 using Fugaku
    Yuji Sugita, RIKEN
    Summary Slide （435KB）The pdf will open in a new tab.
  • Simulation analysis of pandemic phenomena
    Nobuyasu Ito, RIKEN
    Summary Slide （455KB）The pdf will open in a new tab.
  • Fragment molecular orbital calculations for COVID-19 proteins
    Yuji Mochizuki, Rikkyo University
    Summary Slide （554KB）The pdf will open in a new tab.
  • Prediction and Countermeasure for Virus Droplet Infection under the Indoor Environment
    Makoto Tsubokura, RIKEN / Kobe University
    Summary Slide （205KB）The pdf will open in a new tab.
  • 【NEW】Host genetic analysis for severe COVID-19
    Satoru Miyano, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
    Summary Slide （386KB）The pdf will open in a new tab.

Last updated: November 25, 2020
The content of this page will be updated as new information becomes available.

（Apr 24, 2020）

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