Help Fight Cancer – Cost Free

Grant McNamara You can make a tangible difference to cancer research and it wont cost you a cent. Nor will it involve any of your time. A half a million people are already involved in an exciting project all based on the internet. You too could make a difference.

Cancer is an awful disease. One in four of us will at some time suffer from cancer. The high mortality rate, the suffering experienced by patients from the side effects of existing treatments, and the high costs of treatment all contribute to making cancer a priority for drug research.

A landmark research project began several months ago. The project allows people to make a real difference in the fight against cancer. And it is easy for you to be involved. The research involves analyzing proteins for their potential use in the development of drugs. But to do the analysis requires computers.

You have a computer and you could be a contributor. The project is based on using the spare capacity of computers. A tiny piece of software is downloaded to your PC. When you’re not using your PC the software is busy analyzing cancer molecules. The analysis involves extensive mathematics. Once an individual molecule is completed the results are sent across the internet back to the research project, and a new molecule for analysis is sent back to your computer.

Half a million people are ivnvolved so far. They contribute the spare power of their computers to the project. But they need more, many more. To participate, you simply download a very small, no cost, non-invasive software program that works like a screensaver: It runs when your computer isn't being used, and processes research until you need your machine. Your computer never leaves your desk, and the project never interrupts your usual PC use.

There is no cost to participate and no impact on your computer use. The project software cannot detect or transfer anything on your machine but project-specific information. It just allows your computer to screen molecules that may be developed into drugs to fight cancer. Each individual computer analyzes a few molecules and then sends the results back over the Internet for further research. This project is anticipated to be the largest computational chemistry project ever undertaken and represents a genuine hope to find a better way to fight cancer.

The computational power to perform research of this scale is only available through the generosity of individuals like you!

The research is being conducted by the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford in England and the National Foundation for Cancer Research.

If you would like to participate in the project the link is http://www.translateme.co.nz/knowledge_base.htm. Click on the graphic titled ‘Volunteer Your PC’.

From a personal experience I’ve been involved in the project for several months. Apart from a small icon displayed on my task bar I’d never know the software is installed and working. It has had no impact on the speed at which my computer operates. But the positive feelings experienced from knoiwing I am making a difference are something I want to share with you.

Please think about being a member. It will only take five minutes of your time to start your involvement, and download the software. Do it now! Please. Also if you do sign up send an email and let me know. Thanks.

About the Author

Copyright (c) 2002 Grant McNamara, All Rights Reserved. This article may be freely distributed and published. If you wish to publish the article, out of courtesy, please email me and advise the url.
Author Information:
Grant McNamara - grant.mcnamara@translateme.co.nz
Grant McNamara manages The Translateme Group at http://www.translateme.co.nz/ specializing in multilingual software development and Internet support.