The use of GENCI's national high-performance computing resources by academic and industrial research teams is an extension of this dynamic. Among the scientific projects making use of these simulation tools, BoostCrop deserves particular attention.
Benefiting from 600,000 hours of computing time on the Joliot-Curie supercomputer, hosted and operated by the CEA - TGCC, this European and interdisciplinary project brings together, notably on the French side, researchers from AgriParisTech and the University of Aix Mareille. BoostCrop is based on a simple observation. Cold, through the stress it generates, is a major environmental constraint that adversely affects crop yields. Low temperatures can limit plant growth and development, while frost can damage tissues. So, one response is to reduce the stress caused by these weather or climatic conditions to improve harvests.
This original approach is being deployed in research into "molecular heaters". The principle is as follows: apply to the surface of plants molecules capable of absorbing sunlight and transforming it into heat. This solution, currently being developed by the FET-OPEN BoostCrop consortium, is inspired by nature. It could be used as a foliar spray.
In this context Joliot-Curie's capabilities are being used to model the excited state dynamics of target chromophores using electronic structure calculations and non-adiabatic dynamics simulations.
The use of these molecular heaters would extend growing seasons and multiply the geographical locations suitable for agriculture, increase the yield of high-density crops and, concomitantly, reduce greenhouse energy costs.