VISUALIZATION

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., -- SGI (NYSE:SGI) today announced that the University of Toronto's Molecular Design and Information Technology (MDIT) center is increasing the computational power of its SGI(R) Onyx(R) 3800 visualization supercomputer in response to increasing demand for molecular modeling and visualization. The graphics server is at the heart of the SGI(R) Reality Center(TM) immersive visualization system at MDIT, which is used by the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy for research in drug design and delivery. Although the Reality Center facility has only been operational since the summer of 2002, the university is already increasing the number of processors on the system from 36 to 44, making it one of the most powerful in use at any life sciences research institution. In addition to providing number-crunching power for computational chemistry, the system includes an InfiniteReality3(TM) graphics subsystem that delivers stereo images of molecular models to a 5- by 12-foot screen, creating an immersive environment for group research. Investigators wearing stereo glasses interact with 3D models projected on the screen, using a projection system that is capable of displaying three separate images or a single large image, as needed. These capabilities have proved immensely valuable at MDIT, where all current studies are related to the three-dimensional structure of synthetic and biological molecules. "We wanted to tackle post-proteomic problems involving large molecular systems, with a focus on drug discovery," says University of Toronto MDIT Director Lakshmi Kotra, Ph.D., "and we wanted a visualization facility large enough to accommodate more than one enzyme or a small receptor. We looked at the software our investigators needed and the platform on which that software would perform best, both computationally and for visualization. All these factors led us to SGI's tightly integrated processing and visualization power. The efficiency and suitability of Reality Center visualizations moved us to increase the system's processing power." "SGI visualization systems are now being used in private sector pharmaceutical environments around the world, and we're thrilled to see that our technologies have been chosen as the key infrastructure for public sector drug discovery visualization research," states SGI's Chodi McReynolds, director, industry marketing, sciences. Current projects being conducted with the Reality Center system at the university include: modeling of ODCase enzymes, which are potentially useful in anti-bioterrorism research; insulin mimetics; nerve cell components under stress conditions; and the formation and function of transmembrane ion channels and receptors. MDIT is also partnering with industrial companies to conduct basic research programs. A group led by Kotra, MDIT Associate Director Christine Allen, Ph.D., and University of Toronto professor Peter Pennefather is now using the system to model and visualize polymer materials for use in drug delivery. "Using the Reality Center facility, we have been able to use software to fast-track the process and eliminate trial-and-error formulation development and its associated costs," says Allen. "We don't synthesize polymers randomly." "Our decision to acquire SGI Reality Center visualization technology was a great step forward for the department and the faculty," adds Pennefather. "Our investigators are finding immersive visualization to be a powerful tool for discovery and a stimulating medium for improving our understanding of 3D supra-molecular structures."