Biologists have made a new breakthrough and found a novel way of improving crops yields - thanks to a supercomputer.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne, IBM Research and the University of Queensland have managed to detail the nanostructure of cellulose (which holds the key to making better grains) by tapping into the abilities of IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer.

"This is a pioneering project through which we are bringing IBM Research's expertise in computational biology, big data and Smarter Agriculture to bear in a large-scale, collaborative Australian science project with some of the brightest minds in the field," noted Dr. John Wagner, Manager of Computational Sciences, IBM Research (Australia).

The IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer is capable of developing 3D models and its operating speed range is in PFLOPS or pertaFLOPS. FLoating-point Operations Per Second or FLOPS is basically a measure of the performance of a computer.

The researchers deployed a computer over tried and tested methods known to biologists as these traditional ways such as staining can be detrimental for the individual cells which the plant is composed of. Alternate methods require splitting open the cells to observe what they contain, which leads to a loss in biological activity. This in turn makes the process less conclusive.

With the supercomputer at their disposal, the team of researchers was able to gather interesting data not only on the formation of cellulose i.e. the process known as biosynthesis, but also how it assembles.

The IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer aka Avoca also aided the researchers in performing innumerable calculations that were necessary to model the movement and pattern of the cellulose atoms. The biologists found that nearly 18 to 24 chains exist in a basic microfibril of a cellulose structure. This number is way less than the 36 chains that were presumed previously.

With the researchers being able to model the dynamics and construction of cellulose at molecular levels, the data will aid in the creation of crops that are disease resistant. This information will in turn aid the development and propel the endurance ability of the fiber, paper and pulp industries which deploy cellulose on a large scale.

The study entitled "Unique Aspects of the Structure and Dynamics of Elementary Iβ Cellulose Microfibrils Revealed by Computational Simulations" has been published in the journal Plant Physiology.