Supersized Science

Supersized Science features research and discoveries nationwide enabled by advanced computing technology and expertise at the Texas Advanced Computing Center of the University of Texas at Austin. Big challenges demand bold solutions.In 2026, U.S. scientists will gain a new powerhouse for discovery: Horizon, the largest open science supercomputer in the nation. Horizon will accelerate basic research that drives innovation, fuels new industries, and strengthens the U.S. economy while probing the universe’s greatest mysteries.Thanks to the National Science Foundation’s support for basic and transformative research, TACC began building the U.S. NSF Leadership-Class Computing Facility in 2024. This cutting-edge facility represents the next leap in large-scale computing to tackle the most demanding scientific problems in the nation’s research portfolio during the next decade.The LCCF’s design is being shaped from the ground up by science itself.At its core is the Characteristic Science Applications (CSA) program — 11 cutting-edge software projects built to tackle critical challenges that will define the facility’s success.Joining podcast host and TACC science writer Jorge Salazar on the podcast to discuss the Characteristic Science Applications program is Dan Stanzione, NSF LCCF principal investigator and the executive director of the Texas Advanced Computing Center.Supersized Science is part of the Texas Podcast Network – the conversations changing the world – brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. The opinions expressed in this podcast represent the views of the hosts, and not of The University of Texas at Austin.

Supersized Science features research and discoveries nationwide enabled by advanced computing technology and expertise at the Texas Advanced Computing Center of the University of Texas at Austin. In 2025, the online web platform DesignSafe proudly marks its 10th anniversary as the nation’s premier cyberinfrastructure for engineering and social science research on natural hazards.DesignSafe’s computational resources, software, and expertise has empowered 10,000 users—scientists, engineers, students, and other researchers with tools for managing, analyzing, and sharing data on an expanding list of natural hazards including earthquakes, hurricanes, inland flooding, tornadoes, landslides, and wildfires. As a core component of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI), DesignSafe’s impact extends far beyond technological innovation, playing a transformative role in advancing research practices and collaboration in the natural hazards fieldJoining podcast host and TACC science writer Jorge Salazar on the podcast is Ellen Rathje, the principal investigator for the DesignSafe project. Dr. Rathje is a professor and the Janet S. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin.Supersized Science is part of the Texas Podcast Network – the conversations changing the world – brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. The opinions expressed in this podcast represent the views of the hosts, and not of The University of Texas at Austin. For the Texas Advanced Computing Center, I’m Jorge Salazar.

The Supersized Science podcast features research and discoveries nationwide enabled by advanced computing technology and expertise at the Texas Advanced Computing Center of the University of Texas at Austin. TACC science writer Jorge Salazar hosts the podcast.Decades of research in high performance computing (or HPC) gave rise to today’s supercomputer. And in turn HPC laid the foundation for the emergence of Artificial intelligence (AI). It’s been a busy two-way street. The immense market impact of AI is driving technologies scientists use for simulation. HPC is harnessing AI in an accurate and uncompromising for scientific applications, which take advantage of AI’s power and economic efficiencies and have led to innovations across various sectors like research, manufacturing, healthcare, and more. What’s more, HPC in the US continues to fuel technological advancements and contribute to the growth of specialized industries, creating new jobs and boosting overall economic output.On the podcast to discuss how AI is being put to work for science is Dan Stanzione, Executive Director of TACC and Associate Vice President for Research at UT Austin.Supersized Science is part of the Texas Podcast Network – the conversations changing the world – brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. The opinions expressed in this podcast represent the views of the hosts, and not of The University of Texas at Austin.

Scientists and supercomputers generate fast storm surge forecasts in 2024 to help protect lives and property

SC24 podcast with Dan Stanzione, Executive Director of TACC / Associate Vice President for Research, UT Austin

TACC Frontera, Lonestar6 supercomputer simulations reveal topological vortices in polaron quasiparticles

Drastic changes in thermal conductivity of diamonds seen through simulations and machine learning using TACC’s Frontera supercomputer

Stampede2 simulations model transformer hot-spot temperature reductions

Scientists have found the crystal structure and unlocked the mechanism of activity of a family of enzymes that produce monensin, widely used as a cattle antibiotic.

First nanoscale electromotor created using Frontera, Expanse, Anvil supercomputers

PRIYA supercomputer simulations largest-ever of Lyman-𝛼 forest spectral data, illustrate large-scale structure of universe

SC23 podcast with Dan Stanzione, Executive Director of TACC / Associate Vice President for Research, UT Austin.

Stampede2 supercomputer helps guide laser research for cancer therapeutics

The planet HAT-P-32b is losing so much of its atmospheric helium that the trailing gas tails are among the largest structures yet known any planet outside our solar system.

AI-augmented pipeline with Frontera yields ten-fold increase in target binding success

Deep learning models of human behavior developed on TACC’s Maverick2

Conditions mapped for the first time of polaron characteristics in 2D materials.

Colossal ASTRID cosmological simulation using TACC's Frontera supercomputer helps probe ultra-massive black hole

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) announced their first publicly released catalog of astronomical objects.

New kind of exciton discovered with novel characteristics in moiré crystal superlattice.

New mechanism determined for passive transport of biomolecules through the nuclear pore complex of cells.

Cosmological hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations used to study gravity hydrodynamics, chemistry and cooling in structure formation and early star formation.

Supercomputer simulations are helping scientists discover new high-entropy alloys.

TACC's Frontera system helps reveal the most realistic simulation study of HIV capsid to date

TACC's Stampede2 supercomputer simulates water supply in inter-utility agreement study

TACC's Frontera supercomputer simulations show ‘one-two punch' combo by lung cell receptors

Stampede2, Frontera simulations model plate tectonics of bend in seamount chain

First-ever biologically authentic computer model completed of the HIV-1 virus liposome.

TACC supercomputers help scientists probe vortices and turbulence

XSEDE-allocated Stampede2 supercomputer simulations shed light on meteor physics

TACC's ambitious spirit, science-forward attitude key to its success

Supercomputer simulations have revealed for the first time how the cell's mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) binds to the enzyme hexokinase-II (HKII)

NREL scientists discover synergy in PET plastic-degrading enzymes using TACC, SDSC resources

TACC Stampede2 adds calculations to larger pipeline on ORNL Summit through COVID-19 HPCconsortium

HIV-1 viral capsid simulations on XSEDE-allocated Stampede2, Bridges, Darwin systems uncover nucleotide entry mechanism

Frontera, Anton 2 supercomputers simulate holistic model of SARS-CoV-2 virion

XSEDE Stampede2 simulates polarized elongation of actin filaments

Stampede2, Bridges supercomputer simulations show weak spots in Ebola virus nucleocapsid

XSEDE-allocated Stampede2 simulates 3D structure of vortex breakdown with combustion

Computer model simulating binding and fusing dynamics of the coronavirus on Longhorn, a subsystem of the Frontera supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center. Research supported by the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium.

NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer at TACC used for simulations that animated the molecular dynamics of the 1.7 million atom coronavirus spike protein system.

Scientists prepared a massive computer model of the coronavirus expected to give insight into how it infects. They've tested the first parts of the model and optimizing code on the Frontera supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center of UT Austin

TACC's Stampede2 supercomputer powers path-sampling molecular simulations

Galaxy clusters probed with Stampede2, Comet Supercomputers

Scientists used supercomputers to uncover the mechanism that activates cell mutations found in about 50% of melanomas. XSEDE allocations on TACC's Stampede2 and Bridges at PSC modeled the B-Raf protein and others in the pathway linked to skin cancer.

UT Austin achieves leadership role in high performance computing for science with Frontera system

TACC Podcast interviews Fleming Crim, COO of National Science Foundation

TACC enhances computational reproducibility

XSEDE Allocations On Stampede2 and Comet Speed Simulation of Protein Oligomers

Educating the next generation of supercomputing professionals