The project, called Human Proteome Folding Project, will be the first to run on World Community Grid, an effort started by IBM and others to leverage unused computing time of participants for a variety of projects. IBM has donated hardware, software, technical services, and expertise to build the infrastructure and will host and maintain it. United Devices, a grid solutions company, plans to integrate computing power from participating PCs into its worldwide grid.
In the proteome folding project, computers will attempt to fold a single protein of unknown shape, trying millions of shapes and returning the best ones to the central server. "This database of protein structure and possible functions will let us take those next steps in understanding how diseases that involve these proteins work," said ISB scientist Rich Bonneau in a statement.
Participants can sign up and download the required software here.