Backed by IBM, the OpenPandemics project empowers anyone with a computer or smartphone to contribute idle processing power for vital COVID-19 research. This collective effort boosts virtual experiments, significantly advancing the search for effective treatments.
Got a computer or smartphone? You can directly support COVID-19 research through OpenPandemics – COVID-19, a platform powered by IBM and the renowned Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, USA. The mission: enable scientists to run virtual experiments screening millions of molecules for potential treatments.
This initiative builds on the World Community Grid, launched in 2004, which has advanced studies on HIV, Ebola, and more. To date, 770,000 volunteers and 450 organizations have donated power, completing about 50,000 calculations for COVID-19 alone.
Projects like OpenPandemics save researchers invaluable time. Lab testing every molecule is impractical, so simulations identify promising candidates first. Screening millions requires massive compute resources—far beyond what most labs possess, like Scripps Research.
By pooling power from everyday devices, we create supercomputer-level capacity, greatly enhancing the odds of discovering viable treatment molecules for COVID-19.
Getting involved is simple: sign up at World Community Grid. Note, however, that participation demands running your device continuously, which increases energy use, processor load, and potential hardware wear. Weigh these factors before committing.
