Stanford University Calls for Computing Power to Develop Coronavirus Therapy
Stanford University is calling on the public to lend their computing power to help develop a therapy for the coronavirus. The university’s folding@home (FAH) project is using distributed computing to create computer-generated models of the protein structures of the virus. However, the current computing power is not enough to complete the task in a timely manner. The public can help by downloading and installing software that will allow the researchers to use their unused computing power.
The coronavirus infects the lungs by binding to a spike protein on its surface. To develop a therapy, scientists need to understand how the virus binds to the human body. However, the protein constantly changes its shape, making it difficult to study. The FAH project aims to create models of all the protein structures to aid in the development of a therapy. The project has been ongoing since 2000 and has been used to find treatment methods for other diseases.
The software only uses unused processor and graphics card capacity, so it will not significantly affect the performance of the computer. The public can help by downloading and installing the software to provide the researchers with additional computing power.
According to the researchers, distributed computing is necessary for complex simulations that require high computing power. The FAH project is just one example of how distributed computing can be used to aid in scientific research. By lending their computing power, the public can help in the fight against the coronavirus.
In conclusion, Stanford University is calling on the public to help develop a therapy for the coronavirus by lending their computing power. The FAH project is using distributed computing to create computer-generated models of the protein structures of the virus. The public can help by downloading and installing software that will allow the researchers to use their unused computing power. By lending their computing power, the public can aid in the fight against the coronavirus.
