How can a screen saver help find a cure for cancer

A.� Researchers have developed a screen saver that uses spare processing power on your computer to find new cancer-fighting drugs.

�

Q.� How does the screen saver work

A.� Estimates suggest that the average office worker probably only uses 20% of�his or her computer's potential power. The researchers are aiming to harness the spare power to process information on the interaction of around 100 virtual molecules with one protein using 3D computer models. If a successful interaction comes along, this information will be sent back to a central computer for further tests.

�

Q.� How can information on the interaction of proteins and molecules lead to cancer drug development

A.� Four key proteins are being tested, each of which plays a key role in the development of cancer, for example they supply blood to tumours or are responsible for cell damage. The researchers want to pin point any molecules from among 250 million that may inhibit these cancer inducing proteins from doing their worst.

�

Q.� What happens if I sign up for the screen saver

A.� You get, via the Internet, 100 molecules, an application called Think and one of the proteins known to be involved with the development of cancer, all wrapped up as a screen saver.

�

Q.� Do I need to be using my computer for the screen saver to work

A.� No, it processes data while the computer is idle.

�

Q.� Who is carrying out this research

A.� A team based at the University of Oxford, led by Professor Graham Richards and an American technology company. The idea of drafting in PC users across the globe is also used by the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

�

Q.� Why can't the researchers make the computations themselves

A.� As the whole project is going to need around 4 million hours of computing time, if the Oxford team relied on their own computers they'd be dead and buried before any results were available. If the software is successful it could accelerate new cancer drugs research by several years.

�

Q.� I'd like to sign up for the screen saver, what do I do next

A.� Click here for more information.

�

Like to know how something works Just click here to ask.

�

by Lisa Cardy