It is called Crowd Computing, in Italian "crowd computing". What is it about? Essentially, it is a form of distributed computing, where some volunteers on the Internet "donate" the computing power of their computers.

In general, crowd computing aims to solve computational problems that are difficult, if not impossible, to solve with conventional resources. Crowd computing is also used in the field of research, and it is here that it can truly make a difference, saving human lives.

How it is told Stefano Forli, from the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research, the largest private non-profit biomedical research organization, and director of Apri Pandemie, a project aimed at finding a cure for the Coronavirus, precisely thanks to crowd computing.

What is Open Pandemics

The project led by Stefano Forli, Italian emigrant in the USA, is born from a collaboration between Scripps Research and IBM, with the aim of creating the largest public computing network to support scientific projects aimed at the well-being of humanity:

"As soon as the alert level on Covid 19 began to rise, we started discussing the possibility of launching a new project, Open Pandemics. The primary objective is to identify new molecules capable of blocking the normal life cycle of the SARS CoV-2 virus, responsible for Covid 19, thereby limiting the infectious process.", says Stefano.

To achieve this, Stefano and his team simulate the binding of hundreds of millions of chemical compounds using a technique called "molecular docking." Through software, AutoDock, their work involves identifying promising "candidates." According to researchers, these molecules would represent a an excellent starting point for the creation of effective drugs in therapy.

While the secondary objective of the project is to develop "a flexible and adaptable software infrastructure, to allow to other researchers around the world to activate a rapid response to future pandemics, which are very likely to occur (as happened with SARS, MERS, and now Covid 19).

Stefano then explains that both the molecules and the software developed will be made publicly available to anyone with open and free licenses.

The noble role of crowd computing

Like every "crowd" technology, crowd computing is also accessible to everyone: anyone can donate their computer's processing power effortlessly, thus having an impact on significant discoveries in the medical world:

"Crowd computing is an invaluable resource for researchers like us because it immediately provides computing resources that are essential in emergency situations like the one we are experiencing, to reduce the time needed for simulations and experiments."

Stefano reveals how many have joined the initiative, with the desire to actively contribute to solving a problem, such as Covid 19, which has a direct impact on everyone's daily life.

How to participate in Open Pandemics

At the end of the interview, Stefano explains how anyone can contribute to the Open Pandemics project:

Contributing to the project is simple. Just download and install software on your devices, clicking on this link».

Currently, the systems supported by Open Pandemics are Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and Raspberry PI:

«We have received many comments and encouragement from people who have written to us saying that our initiative is a release valve that slightly alleviates the sense of immobility and helplessness that forced isolation has imposed. And this, if we will, is already a contribution, albeit small, to the community.», concludes Stefano.