IBM and its Blue Gene/L – the world’s fastest computer – joined forces with The Hormel Institute and the University of Minnesota Supercomputer Institute to accelerate cancer research discoveries.

Recognizing the critical role that information technology (IT) will play in the 21st century in understanding complex and deadly diseases like cancer, IBM is working with the people, technologies and partnerships needed to battle this deadly disease. The Hormel Institute is one of those targeted institutions.

IBM initiated this collaboration with The Hormel Institute.

Why?

The Hormel Institute’s research excellence in its focus on cancer prevention.

The Hormel Institute’s interest in the identification of anticancer agents that have low toxicity with fewer side effects allows them, through this collaboration, to leverage the technological and computational capabilities of IBM.

The purpose of the collaboration is to focus on computational and modeling aspects in three primary areas of cancer research:

1. The study of protein-protein interactions along cellular signaling pathways;
2. The investigation of small molecule interactions with proteins;
3. The development of focus libraries for chemical screening against protein targets.

“IBM is clearly aligned with advancing science through technology,” said Mike Good, Program Director, IBM. “By leveraging advanced high performance computing technology such as the IBM Blue Gene Solution™, The Hormel Institute has significantly increased its arsenal of tools to provide groundbreaking discoveries in a timeframe previously not possible.”

The Hormel Institute, IBM and the Supercomputing Institute are also seeking to establish a Center of Excellence in Computational Biology for the State of Minnesota.