Do you remember, years ago, the SETI project which asked you to run programs on your computers searching for extra-terrestrial life?
That has currently stopped analysing because they need to look where they have reached.
However, another major computer-based search is on. This analyses how proteins fold - hopefully reflecting the real-world biology.
The current target is analysis targeted at coronavirus. Here is a story from The Register (a computer website which discusses all sorts of things):
PC owners borg into the most powerful computer the world has ever known – all in the search for coronavirus cure
Move over, Summit. Distributed computing project hits 470 PFLOPS
By Richard Currie 24 Mar 2020 at 13:35
theregister.co.uk/2020/03/2...
And this follow-up shows the enormous computer power that is being applied:
Reg readers have not one, but TWO teams in Folding@home top 1,000 as virus-bothering network hits 2.4 exa-FLOPS
Distributed computing project sails past anticipated raw power of El Capitan – and you folks are at the forefront
By Richard Currie 14 Apr 2020 at 12:15
theregister.co.uk/2020/04/1...
If you are interested, visit this site:
You don't need a superfast machine - mine is mid-range business. You might notice that the fans whir rather more due to the work it is doing. Other than that, I don't notice it. My computer is currently doing this (whatever it actually means):
Project 16425
This project simulates the NSP7 co-factor in the monomeric state from SARS-CoV-2! To replicate itself, the virus uses "polymerase" proteins that transcribe the viral genome after it infects a host cell (aka our cells). The known polymerase of the viruses utilizes 3 proteins, NSP7 and NSP8, and NSP12. This project simulates NSP7 in isolation. Our hope is to identify a potentially druggable site in this polymerase for drug design efforts. This project is related to p16424, p16431, and p16432.