BSC

Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC)

Information
Plaza Eusebi Güell, 1-3 08034 Barcelona

Antarctica / Arctic, big data, bioethics, climate change, cancer, behavioural sciences, climate, quantum computing, pollution, covid-19, energy, physics, language, mathematics, new materials, chemistry, sociology, supercomputing
Contact
Nuria Noriega
Responsible for Communication
nuria.noriega@bsc.es
636515223

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SMC participants

Expert researcher in quantum computing at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and coordinator of Quantum Spain

ICREA professor and director of Life Sciences at the Barcelona National Supercomputing Centre (BSC).

Researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences - Climate Variability and Change at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center
 

Head of the Data Analysis and Visualization group of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS)

ICREA Professor, Director of the Earth Sciences Department at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center 

Postdoctoral researcher in the Atmospheric Composition Group, Department of Earth Sciences at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center - National Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS)

ICREA Research Professor, Climate Variability and Change Group Co-Leader  

Co-leader of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center's Climate Change and Prediction Group

Researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences - Climate Variability and Change at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Researcher in the Language Technologies group at the BSC (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)

Contents related to this centre
ADN

‘Bacterial signatures’ from genital areas could serve as a forensic tool to identify perpetrators of sexual assault, even if there is no trace of sperm, according to a study published in the journal iScience, by the Cell group. After sequencing the DNA of bacteria from genital samples from 12 stable couples, the authors show that a transfer of bacterial species occurs during intercourse, allowing the identification of each person’s own genital microbiome or ‘sexome’.

voice

An artificial intelligence (AI) model led by the company Meta is capable of translating speech and text, including direct speech-to-speech translations, from up to 101 languages in some cases. According to the research team, this model - called SEAMLESSM4T - can pave the way for fast universal translations ‘with resources to be made publicly available for non-commercial use’. The work is published in the journal Nature.

 

Heat

The year 2024 was the warmest year on record globally and the first calendar year in which the global average temperature exceeded its pre-industrial level by 1.5 °C, the Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed.  

Bacteria

Thirty eight scientists from different specialties, including Craig Venter, a pioneer in the creation of artificial synthetic life, have written an article in the journal Science in which they assess the possibilities of synthesizing mirror organisms, but also warn of the risks they pose. This type of microorganisms, which would present a mirror structure to that currently found in nature, would have potential applications due to their resistance to biological degradation. However, they would also pose a danger because they would not be recognized by our defenses and could spread in ecosystems. Scientists call for more research and a broad debate, and warn that until more is known, this type of organism should not be created. 

 

COP29

In the early hours of the morning, after more than two weeks of negotiations and on the verge of collapse, participants at COP29 in Baku (Azerbaijan) reached an agreement to set the new climate finance target. In the end, at least 300 billion dollars a year will be contributed by rich countries to the least developed countries until 2035, within a broader global commitment of up to 1.3 trillion dollars directed at these same countries. The renewal of this target was part of the Paris Agreement and will enable governments to support developing countries in their climate action on adaptation, mitigation and damage from the climate crisis. The previous target - set at the Copenhagen Summit in 2009 - was $100 billion per year.

Microbiota

Many diseases related to bacteria, such as inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer, are associated with an overgrowth of gut bacteria considered 'bad'. However, a study published in the journal Cell suggests that changes in microbial load, rather than the disease itself, could be the driving factor behind the presence of these harmful species associated with pathologies.

COP29

The largest carbon balance report shows that carbon dioxide emissions have not yet peaked and are projected to reach 37.4 billion tonnes by 2024. In a briefing organised by SMC Spain, Pep Canadell, one of the people in charge of the Global Carbon Budget 2024, analysed these data and what Donald Trump's return as US president means for climate action in the framework of COP29 in Baku.

 

 

emissions

There are still no clear signs that global fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have peaked, according to the 2024 Global Carbon Budget. The report - which is published in the journal Earth System Science Data in preprint format and will be launched at COP29 in Baku - estimates that these emissions will grow by 0.8% this year compared to 2023, to 37.4 billion tonnes of CO2. If this rate continues, there is a 50% chance that global warming will exceed the 1.5°C limit in six years.

 

 

Paiporta

A study by a team from the ClimaMeter project claims that the intensification of rainfall from the DANA that devastated Valencia and other regions on 29 October is mainly attributed to human-induced climate change. Natural climate variability, on the other hand, probably played a modest role. According to the analysis, this DANA was driven by very exceptional weather conditions. The work also shows that the DANA-like depressions that cause flooding in the southeastern peninsular are up to 15 % wetter than they were in the past. In addition, temperatures are up to 3°C warmer, which favours storm formation in these events over the Mediterranean basin. 

alphafold

Two of the Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry 2024 are employees of Google DeepMind, who caused significant unrest among their colleagues in May. Hassabis and Jumper announced in *Nature* the results of their AlphaFold 3 model, with applications in drug design; however, they published it in a closed manner, with reviewers not even having access to the system, which contradicts the basic principles of scientific publication. We risk having the transformative potential of AI controlled by big tech companies.