Purchase of Departmental Beowulf Cluster for Computational Chemistry

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania will acquire a Departmental Beowulf Cluster for Computational Chemistry. This equipment will enhance research in the following areas: a) polyborane catalysis and coordination chemistry (Sneddon); b) computational methods for combinatorial protein design and protein folding (Saven); c) computational methods in the development of ligands for asymmetric synthesis (Kozlowski); d) dynamics of water molecules in anion solvation shells (Klein); e) the role of structure and conformational change in biological electron and ion transport (Blasie); and f) correlating alloy chemistry with metallic glass formation (Rappe). A cluster of fast, modern computer workstations is vital to serving the computing needs of active research departments. Such a "computer network" also serves as a development environment for new theoretical codes and algorithms, provides state-of-the-art graphics and visualization facilities, and supports research in state-of-the-art applications of parallel processing. These studies will have a significant impact in a number of areas, including development of more efficient catalysts, biochemistry and materials sciences.