Case Study: Utrecht University reveals brain-cell protein structures with SURF's National Supercomputer

Utrecht University - Customer Case Study

The research group of Dr. Bert Janssen at Utrecht University faced the challenge of processing immense datasets to create 3D images of minuscule brain cell proteins, a task that would have taken an ordinary laptop an estimated 60 years. They required immense computational power to analyze terabytes of data from cryo-electron microscopy. The group partnered with SURF to utilize the Dutch National Supercomputer.

SURF provided access to a GPU cluster on its supercomputer, allocating 2.1 million core hours to the project. This high-performance computing resource allowed the researchers to process 11 terabytes of data in hours instead of decades, significantly accelerating their research. The solution from SURF enabled the team to successfully create a high-resolution 3D model of the Teneurin protein, leading to a key publication and new avenues for biological investigation.

Utrecht University

Chemists Bert Janssen

Research Group Crystal and Structural Chemistry