July 14, 2021

Panasas, UOW establish partnership to support Cryo-EM research

Agreement will drive leading-edge research on initiatives from cancer research to green battery development

The University of Wollongong (UOW) and Panasas, a world leader in high performance computing data storage, have announced a five-year strategic alliance to support medical and scientific research initiatives that deploy cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM).

Cryo-EM is a powerful technique that lets researchers study high-resolution density maps of frozen-hydrated specimens of viruses, cellular structures and protein complexes that are maintained at cryogenic temperatures.

Panasas will equip UOW, one of the pioneering universities in Cryo-EM, with storage solutions to help drive leading-edge work on a variety of initiatives – from cancer research to green battery alternatives that power electric vehicles. UOW will also serve as a centre for the training of new Cryo-EM scientists throughout Australia.

Distinguished Professor Antoine van Oijen, director of the Molecular Horizons Institute at UOW, described the partnership with Panasas as an important piece of the puzzle to establish accessible imaging infrastructure for the medical sciences.

“Developing new cures and therapeutics critically relies on a foundation of fundamental research, particularly on the function and structure of biological molecules,” he said.

“This area of research is very data intensive, and partnering with Panasas represents a big step for us in realising our vision in this sector.”

Dr James Bouwer (pictured above), Director of Cryo-EM at Molecular Horizons at UOW, said: “This will allow us to accelerate workloads and store important data for our various research projects. This collaboration between two very high-value players coming together in true partnership will support Australian science in general, and more specifically, the University’s role in furthering our understanding in these important areas of science.”

Adam Marko, Director of Life Science Solutions at Panasas, said: “This is a true collaborative effort, not just a technology sale. When the university looked to upgrade its legacy storage infrastructure, UOW chose Panasas because it needed a collaborative partner and a leading-edge technology supplier. Panasas will not only be providing infrastructure, but also additional engineering expertise to optimize workflows and design reference architectures.”

About Molecular Horizons

Molecular Horizons is dedicated to illuminating how life works at a molecular level and solving some of the biggest health challenges facing the world, from cancer, to Alzheimer’s disease to antimicrobial resistance. To enable this world-leading research, UOW has invested in a suite of revolutionary technology including Australia’s most powerful biological electron microscope, the Titan Krios cryo-EM microscope.

For more information, visit: https://www.uow.edu.au/research-and-innovation/our-research/research-institutes-and-facilities/molecular-horizons/

About Panasas

Panasas delivers high-performance computing (HPC) data storage solutions that support industry and research innovation around the world. Whether it’s building the next jetliner, winning a Formula One race, creating mind-bending visual effects, curing disease, or modelling climate change, the world’s leading companies trust Panasas to support their most innovative HPC projects.

For more information, visit https://www.panasas.com/industries/life-sciences/.