• U.S. launches "Doudna" supercomputer in 2026, honoring CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna at Berkeley.
• Nvidia’s Vera Rubin chips, Dell’s liquid-cooled servers power research for 11,000 scientists.
• Supports chemistry, biology, and national security; faces scrutiny over Nvidia’s Shanghai plans.

The U.S. Department of Energy revealed that it is developing the ‘Doudna’ supercomputer which is planned for launch in 2026 at Berkeley’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Dedicated to Jennifer Doudna, who received a Nobel Prize for her CRISPR discoveries, the system will make use of advanced technology from Nvidia and Dell for important discoveries.

At a press conference with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, officials explained how Doudna will use the latest "Vera Rubin" chips from Nvidia in Dell’s liquid-cooled servers. With this setup, more than 11,000 scientists are hoped to drive research in chemistry, physics, biology and other related areas. “It will advance scientific discovery, from chemistry to physics to biology,” Wright stated, underscoring the system’s broad impact.

Jennifer Doudna recognized the importance of the project and said her early CRISPR work relied on help from the Energy Department. She called attention to the stronger connection between biology and computing, something Doudna is sure to continue. Many of the research efforts and national defense work of the Energy Department rely on supercomputers, including those used to help maintain and design nuclear weapons.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the broader stakes at the event. “The scientific supercomputer is one of humanity’s most vital instruments,” he said. “It is the foundation of scientific discovery for our country. It is also a foundation for economic and technology leadership, and with that, national security.” His remarks are made while Nvidia’s global activities are facing greater scrutiny. U.S. Senators Jim Banks and Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Huang expressing their worries about Nvidia’s new research and development site in Shanghai.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas also addressed the issue on X after the announcement. Organizations like Nvidia that break these rules and try to bypass export controls will be punished, as Cotton says such actions concern America’s national security. Doudna’s arrival online will strengthen the U.S. in science, the economy and security by leading advances in computing technology.