WesternU Molecular Computing Core Now Open for Business
With the Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy’s success with computational core – utilizing computers to advance drug discovery, protein dynamics, bioinformatics and more – COP leaders have now expanded their services University wide and beyond.
COP Associate Professor Yun Lyna Luo, PhD, and COP Associate Dean of Research and Global Advancement Jeffrey Wang, PhD, received approval for the creation of the WesternU Molecular Computing Core (WMCC).
WMCC will offer WesternU researchers in California and Oregon, as well as researchers from external institutions, the computing power and expertise to advance, support, and empower research projects using shared, cost-effective cyber-infrastructure across campuses.
WesternU researchers will utilize WMCC resources and expertise to generate preliminary data to secure competitive external funding. WMCC will organize seminars and hands-on workshops to provide education and training to researchers and students and will help WesternU attract and retain faculty members with strong biomedical research backgrounds. WMCC will foster extramural funding and external collaborations with the nation’s top universities. WMCC services include AI-guided virtual screening, lead-optimization, molecular dynamics, drug binding hotspot search, and pharmacophore screening.
“I have been working on the planning of this computing core for the past 10 years. Expanding to the University level has finally happened, and it will have a much larger impact beyond just the people in my lab and my current collaborators,” Dr. Luo said. “There is a high demand for these services, and we can now take on more projects.”
“Molecular computation is revolutionizing many scientific fields including drug discovery and biomedical research. WesternU researchers from the Pomona and Oregon campuses as well as those of external organizations can benefit tremendously from the training and services provided by WMCC,” Dr. Wang said. “This core is a timely addition to the University as it transitions to a mature and prestigious educational and research institution.”
WMCC will serve as a centralized hub under the leadership of WesternU Senior Vice President of Research and Biotechnology Andrea Giuffrida, PhD, MBA. Dr. Luo will serve as Director, managing the core facility and coordinate all research projects. Researchers who have an interest in using the core facility will be able to access the computational resources and research data remotely from their desktops or laptops through a secure personal account.
“Establishing a centralized molecular computing core is crucial for several reasons. By operating at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and computer science, the core will facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations, enabling experts from diverse fields to address complex challenges such as molecular simulations and protein folding more effectively,” Dr. Giuffrida said. “Access to specialized hardware and software will also position WesternU as a leader in cutting-edge research areas like drug discovery, biotechnology and material science, ensuring we remain at the forefront of innovation. This new core not only highlights the institution’s ability to support advanced, high-impact research, but also creates new educational opportunities to train the next generation of scientists in this rapidly evolving field.”
