FightAIDS@Home
Encyclopedia
FightAIDS@Home is a distributed computing
project for internet-connected home computers, operated by the Olson Laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute
. It aims to use biomedical software simulation techniques to search for ways to cure or prevent the spread of AIDS
and HIV
.
FightAIDS@Home makes use of the AutoDock
software, which tests how well a particular molecule binds to the HIV-1 protease
.
. However, since May 2003 FightAIDS@Home has not been associated with Entropia, and on November 21, 2005, the project moved to World Community Grid
and the Entropia software was abandoned.
Scripps Research Institute published its first peer-reviewed scientific paper about the results of FightAIDS@Home on April 21, 2007. This paper explains that the results up to that point will primarily be used to improve the efficiency of future FightAIDS@Home calculations.
On February 3, 2010, the project announced it found two compounds that make a completely new class of AIDS-fighting drugs possible: "two compounds that act on novel binding sites for an enzyme used by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. The discovery lays the foundation for the development of a new class of anti-HIV drugs to enhance existing therapies, treat drug-resistant strains of the disease, and slow the evolution of drug resistance in the virus."
With distributed computing every computer added accelerates the project, while the program has little impact on the PC it is installed on as the calculation process is running at minimum priority in the background.
Distributed computing
Distributed computing is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A distributed system consists of multiple autonomous computers that communicate through a computer network. The computers interact with each other in order to achieve a common goal...
project for internet-connected home computers, operated by the Olson Laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute is an American medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and...
. It aims to use biomedical software simulation techniques to search for ways to cure or prevent the spread of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
.
Methods
Olson's target is HIV protease, a key molecular machine of the virus that when blocked stops the virus from maturing. These blockers, known as "protease inhibitors", are thus a way of avoiding the onset of AIDS and prolonging life. The Olson Laboratory is using computational methods to identify new candidate drugs that have the right shape and chemical characteristics to block HIV protease. This general approach is called Structure-Based Drug Design, and according to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences, it has already had a dramatic effect on the lives of people living with AIDS.FightAIDS@Home makes use of the AutoDock
AutoDock
AutoDock is a molecular modeling simulation software. Since 2009, it has been open source and is free for non-commercial usage. It is especially effective for Protein-ligand docking.-About:...
software, which tests how well a particular molecule binds to the HIV-1 protease
HIV-1 protease
HIV-1 protease is a retroviral aspartyl protease that is essential for the life-cycle of HIV, the retrovirus that causes AIDS.HIV PR cleaves newly synthesized polyproteins at the appropriate places to create the mature protein components of an infectious HIV virion...
.
History
It was originally implemented using a distributed computing software infrastructure provided by EntropiaEntropia, Inc. (company)
Entropia, Inc. was a company founded in 1997 that sold distributed computing software for CPU scavenging.Their product's server infrastructure was based on Microsoft Windows....
. However, since May 2003 FightAIDS@Home has not been associated with Entropia, and on November 21, 2005, the project moved to World Community Grid
World Community Grid
World Community Grid is an effort to create the world's largest public computing grid to tackle scientific research projects that benefit humanity...
and the Entropia software was abandoned.
Scripps Research Institute published its first peer-reviewed scientific paper about the results of FightAIDS@Home on April 21, 2007. This paper explains that the results up to that point will primarily be used to improve the efficiency of future FightAIDS@Home calculations.
On February 3, 2010, the project announced it found two compounds that make a completely new class of AIDS-fighting drugs possible: "two compounds that act on novel binding sites for an enzyme used by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. The discovery lays the foundation for the development of a new class of anti-HIV drugs to enhance existing therapies, treat drug-resistant strains of the disease, and slow the evolution of drug resistance in the virus."
System requirements
The minimum system requirements to run FightAIDS@home are:| Processor Central processing unit The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in... |
550 MHz |
|---|---|
| Memory | 250 MB Megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000... |
| Hard drive | 600 MB (50 MB free) |
| Screen resolution | 8-bit graphics at 800×600 |
| Internet Internet The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide... connection |
40 kbit/s |
With distributed computing every computer added accelerates the project, while the program has little impact on the PC it is installed on as the calculation process is running at minimum priority in the background.