Georgia State University Computes Over 100 Years with World Community Grid
By now everyone on campus knows that Georgia State University turned 100 in 2013. But did you know that over 100 years of research computing time was processed on GSU computers in just the last six years?
One of Georgia State University’s goals is to engage in pioneering research. By supporting World Community Grid, our campus contributes to an innovation that benefits all humanity. World Community Grid is installed on hundreds of computers on campus, including all 400 desktops housed in Georgia State University Library.
Through grid computing, these computers’ resources are used to process data when they would otherwise be idle. According to World Community Grid’s “How It Works” document [PDF] most computers only use 10-15% of their power: “The grid connects a global community of computers together to solve massive computational problems, performing hundreds of experiments simultaneously.”
This global humanitarian effort supports research by reducing computation time. World Community Grid’s “Technology Solving Problems” document [PDF] cites Professor Arthur Olson from the Department of Molecular Biology at The Scripps Research Institute:
World Community Grid has enabled my lab at Scripps to engage in critical computational research to design new anti-HIV drugs based on molecular structure. This is work that we would not have attempted in the absence of this powerful public computing grid. World Community Grid has allowed us to complete very complex research studies in six months that would have taken five years.
An independent advisory board of philanthropists, scientists and officials decides which research projects can access the tremendous computing power of World Community Grid. If you think your research may benefit from grid computing, consider submitting a proposal.
Along with Professor Olson’s HIV research, Georgia State University’s involvement also supports research in the following areas:
- Genome comparisons for drug development
- Cancer treatment
- Finding an alternative form of clean energy
- Fighting diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, Dengue fever, influenza and muscular dystrophy.
- Finding a more nutritious rice grain
- Confronting the adverse effects of climate
- And much more
The Georgia State University team is already in the top 500 ranked teams for run times and results. We’re currently averaging 17+ days of computing for every calendar day we participate.
Interested in joining the team? Anyone can take part by registering with World Community Grid and installing their free software agent onto their computer. When you register, choose “Georgia State University” for your team!