Computer's Idle Time Can Help Cure Rare Diseases

Do you leave your computer idle to save time and energy when you aren’t using it? A typical computer may even sit idle 20 hours a day. Why not use that time to help a nonprofit find cures for rare and neglected diseases?

Quantum Cures, founded in January, is seeking donated computer time from Americans to design drug molecules that will prevent or cure orphan, rare and neglected diseases.

Participants can download free screensaver software that will solve molecule computations for a specific disease. Volunteers indicate how much time they’re willing to give, and the installed program will turn on during computer idle times or work in the background during off hours.

This is the first time such computer research is being focused on rare diseases, which usually don’t receive as much attention or research from major pharmaceutical companies. Some of the diseases Quantum Cures is looking to research include malaria and spina bifida.

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