From Microscopy to AI: CERIT-SC Showcases AlphaFind to Brno’s Scientific Community
Terézia Slanináková presented AlphaFind at 120 seconds: Meet the Brnoregion Microscopy
The new facility at MU moves scientific research ahead with the use of AI
Fast and the only one in the Czech Republic - it is the new NVIDIA DGX H100 system at Masaryk University. Thanks to this device, which can process enormous amounts of data at the same time, scientists can progress, for example, in the detection of neurodegenerative diseases or simplify the automatic translation of texts into different languages.
The NVIDIA DGX H100 system is a unique new device located at Masaryk University. It is exceptional precisely because of its performance which is equal to almost 200,000 gaming computers - although the system itself is no bigger than two microwave ovens. Its power lies in its eight graphics cards, which are placed close together and communicate quickly. As a result, the system can process complex algorithms on all the cards simultaneously. What would take months on a regular computer, this device can calculate in days and, in case of simple problems, even hours. It will help scientists who need to solve complex analyses for their research to streamline their work. Or it is also beneficial for processing and evaluating large amounts of data by experts to train artificial intelligence.
The system installed at Masaryk University can help accelerate research in medicine, protein engineering, or language sciences. For example, it can predict the shape of a complex protein, knowledge of which is essential for developing new drugs. It will also find applications in language models and speech recognition as we know it from existing voice assistants. "This cutting-edge device will enable Czech scientists to create excellent results in the field of AI," says Lukáš Hejtmánek, team leader of the team managing the NVIDIA DGX H100 system at Masaryk University.
Scientists who want to use this facility for research do not need to be physically present in Brno. They can connect online from all corners of the Czech Republic. The system is part of the large research infrastructure e-INFRA CZ, which provides national technical facilities for storing and processing research data. Each research organization subscribes to the infrastructure association and can use this unique computing power according to its needs. "The availability of such a high-performance facility represents a huge opportunity for both established and emerging Czech scientists whose research requires the processing of huge data by artificial intelligence," adds Matej Antol, e-INFRA CZ integration manager from Masaryk University.
