"DOE Unveils Doudna: A Supercomputer Set to Revolutionize Real-Time Scientific Discovery"

The Supercomputer Designed to Accelerate Nobel-Worthy Science A significant leap forward in high-performance computing is underway at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the development of Doudna, a supercomputer named after Nobel laureate and CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna. As part of a major national investment, Doudna aims to empower U.S. researchers in addressing global challenges and driving scientific breakthroughs. Doudna, officially known as NERSC-10, is set to launch in 2026 and will be the flagship system for the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC). Unlike traditional supercomputers that operate in isolated silos, Doudna integrates simulation, data analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI) into a single platform. This innovative design promises to compress years of research into mere days, offering nearly instant responsiveness and streamlined workflows for over 11,000 researchers across various scientific disciplines. According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, "The Doudna system represents DOE’s commitment to advancing American leadership in science, AI, and high-performance computing." Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, emphasized the system's transformative potential: "Doudna is a time machine for science — compressing years of discovery into days. Built together with DOE and powered by NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin platform, it will let scientists delve deeper and think bigger to seek the fundamental truths of the universe." Key Features and Capabilities Performance and Efficiency: Doudna is projected to outperform its predecessor, Perlmutter, by more than 10 times in scientific output while using only 2 to 3 times the power. This efficiency translates to a 3 to 5 times increase in performance per watt, thanks to advancements in chip design, dynamic load balancing, and system-level optimizations. AI-Driven Discovery: The supercomputer will facilitate AI-powered breakthroughs in high-impact scientific fields, including real-time data processing from telescopes, detectors, and genome sequencers. For instance, at the DIII-D National Fusion Ignition Facility, Doudna will enable rapid-response plasma modeling, allowing scientists to make real-time adjustments and optimizations. Seamless Integration: Doudna isn’t just a standalone system; it is deeply integrated into scientific workflows. DOE’s Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) will ensure low-latency, high-throughput data transfer from experimental sites to the supercomputer using NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBand networking. This integration ensures continuous and uninterrupted data flow, enhancing the system's overall responsiveness. Support for Diverse Workflows: Doudna is versatile, supporting traditional high-performance computing (HPC), cutting-edge AI, real-time data streaming, and even quantum computing workflows. The system will leverage NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin platform, which combines high-performance CPUs with coherent GPUs, enabling all processors to share and access data seamlessly. This capability is crucial for handling the most demanding scientific workloads. Optimization and Portability: Researchers are already preparing to utilize Doudna by optimizing their workflows using various frameworks and SDKs, including PyTorch, NVIDIA Holoscan, TensorFlow, cuDNN, and CUDA-Q. Over 20 research teams are involved in the NERSC Science Acceleration Program, porting full pipelines to Doudna to tackle complex problems from climate models to particle physics. Real-World Applications Climate Research: Doudna will accelerate the modeling and analysis of climate data, providing critical insights and predictions that could inform policy and action. Pandemic Response: The supercomputer will enhance the ability to analyze genomic data quickly, aiding in the rapid identification and monitoring of new viral strains. Particle Physics: Doudna will process data from high-energy physics experiments, contributing to our understanding of the fundamental forces and particles that govern the universe. Fusion Energy: By enabling real-time plasma modeling, Doudna will facilitate the advancement of fusion energy research, potentially bringing us closer to a sustainable, clean energy source. Industry Insights and Company Profiles Industry insiders are optimistic about Doudna’s potential impact. They predict that this supercomputer will not only expedite the pace of scientific discovery but also foster collaboration and innovation across disparate fields. By integrating multiple computational paradigms, Doudna sets a new standard for what a supercomputer can achieve in the realm of scientific research. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a multiprogram research facility, plays a crucial role in leading this initiative. Known for its contributions to fundamental science and technology, the lab has a history of breaking ground in areas such as materials science, genomics, and astrophysics. Dell Technologies and NVIDIA are the primary partners in the project, leveraging their expertise to build a system that combines computational power with efficient and scalable design. As Jensen Huang aptly described, Doudna is "a time machine for science," poised to transform how we approach some of the world’s most pressing issues. With its advanced capabilities and integrated workflows, Doudna is expected to usher in a new era of accelerated discovery, ensuring that U.S. researchers remain at the forefront of global scientific innovation.