Advancing scientific discovery with IBM PureSystems offerings

Desert Research Institute (DRI) is the environmental research arm of the Nevada System of Higher Education. With more than 550 scientists, engineers and technicians, and campuses in Reno and Las Vegas, DRI staff work to solve some of the world’s biggest environmental issues. One of the challenges that scientists have faced in recent years is analyzing an increasing volume, velocity and variety of data from field observations, lab systems, remote sensor networks and mathematical models. The amount of data collected is extraordinary. In fact, atmospheric scientists at DRI are working with NASA on planning for missions that will produce up to 24 terabytes of data per day. DRI faculty members have traditionally been responsible for acquiring the computing and storage technology they needed to support their research projects. Often, data collected from remote locations around the world is stored in flat files and managed by individual research teams. This decentralized approach increased IT costs and limited how the organization’s research data could be used.

Desert Research Institute’s (DRI) vision is to be the scientific leader in investigating the effects of natural and human-induced environmental change, and advancing environmental technologies aimed at assessing a changing planet. Its cutting-edge research is applied to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems. To support this work and help the state of Nevada diversify its economy, DRI worked with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) to implement a powerful cloud computing platform from IBM that enables scientists and engineers to analyze data faster; deliver data as a service to partner organizations and agencies; and deliver workforce training in emerging industries. Already, the platform has helped DRI scientists make new discoveries in the movement of water through plants that could ultimately help communities in arid environments increase crop production.