Researchers require easy-to-use, optimised platforms. NCI has created the Australian Research Environment (ARE), a web-based portal that allows researchers to access pre-configured, discipline-specific software spaces on NCI’s supercomputing and data platforms.
Research groups can now create their own research environments on ARE, with the exact set of software packages, data and tools their discipline needs. Others in the same field can then access those environments and, with minimal training, start analysing their scientific data. ARE is already being used to run robust climate simulations, process geophysical data, analyse electron microscope images and much more. With access to NCI’s Gadi supercomputer, Nirin cloud computer and 100+ petabyte data storage systems, ARE provides a graphical virtual interface to high-performance research tools.
One facility that extensively uses ARE is the Centre for Advanced Microscopy (CAM) at The Australian National University. It operates high-resolution electron microscopes using the 2017 Nobel Prize-winning technology cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM), taking images of proteins as small as a few nanometres.
The data engineer, Chung-Han Tsai from CAM, says, “ARE creates a stable and powerful scientific virtual environment for our many users and provides simple access to the latest technologies such as GPUs for AI models, graphics acceleration and visualisation.”
ARE is a unique platform that gives researchers a single entry point into all NCI’s computing and data services. The platform is incredibly accessible to all scientists.
Thank you to Chung-Han Tsai (ANU) for his input into this case study. Team of Centre for Advanced Microscopy.
