April 23, 2014
Supercomputer introduced in the Netherlands to process breeding data
The Netherlands has introduced a supercomputer to be used by animal researchers and animal breeding companies united in the Breed4Food consortium.
The computer will enable them to process large volumes of data using high computing power. It required an initial investment of more than €700,000 (US$966,350) and will be made available to researchers and companies based on a joint investment by the Breed4Food partners, the Centre for Advanced Technology in the Agro and Food sector (CAT-AgroFood) and Wageningen University and Research Centre.
Scientists and researchers are increasingly required to process large volumes of data. As a result of the recent developments in DNA sequencing technology in particular, the amount of data being made available has risen exponentially. Hence it is crucial that there is sufficient computing power available to make complex calculations based on this continually increasing data flow. It enables researchers to make comprehensive analyses of, for example, breeding values and to select the best animals to cross for breeding.
The companies involved in Breed4Food are Hendrix Genetics, COBB Europe, CRV and TOPIGS. These parties intend to use the supercomputer for both their core activities and long-term research.
Bernard de Geus, director of Breed4Food, sees the introduction of the supercomputer as a very important step in animal breeding research and an excellent example of public-private cooperation between companies and knowledge institutions. "Science and technology are developing at a tremendous rate. It is very important that both parties have a research facility close by. This enables them to consult with one another intensively and new scientific information obtained as a result of this can be translated quickly into innovation at the companies," he said.
