Donate Your Unused CPU Cycles to Fight Coronavirus
Jeremy Morgan 
Mar 15, 2020 - 3 min read
Last Update: Jun 7, 2024
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The Folding at Home research project uses crowd sourced CPU power to help model simulations to develop treatments for diseases. You can help them by taking 5 minutes to download their client, and donate some CPU Cycles.
For more info:
After initial quality control and limited testing phases, Folding@home team has released an initial wave of projects simulating potentially druggable protein targets from SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and the related SARS-CoV virus (for which more structural data is available) into full production on Folding@home. Many thanks to the large number of Folding@home donors who have assisted us thus far by running in beta or advanced modes.
This initial wave of projects focuses on better understanding how these coronaviruses interact with the human ACE2 receptor required for viral entry into human host cells, and how researchers might be able to interfere with them through the design of new therapeutic antibodies or small molecules that might disrupt their interaction.
So how can you help? It’s easy.
Step 1. Download the Folding@Home Client
You can download it here. They have clients for Windows, Mac, and several versions of Linux.
Run the Setup:
Choose “Express Install”
Setup is complete
Step 2: Configure your client
With the client loaded up, click on configure.
Here you can set your name (it can be anything), and your team. If you want to join my team, it’s 236359. (If you beat my score for the month I’ll send you a prize!!)
Once your client is set up, you can adjust the amount of CPU Power to use:
- Light
- Medium
- Full
There is also an icon in your taskbar. You can also set it to run while your computer is idle (recommended) or while you are working (runs all the time).
There is also a web client you can use to adjust those same settings:
And that’s it!!
Make sure it’s set to “fight any disease” to help out with the Coronavirus.
In Five Minutes You Can Help Fight This Disease!!
It’s super easy to set up. I have it set up on my personal desktop, laptop, and web servers. Here are some things to keep in mind though:
If you have any problems with heat, you probably shouldn’t use this program. Older computers or ones with cooling problems may not like it.
Do not run this on your work computer without permission! - Clear it with your employer before installing this program, they may not want you to do this.
You are helping!! - By doing this you’re helping important research. There has been a huge uptick of new users (myself included) that are pitching in to help with this and we could be helping find a cure!
If you have any questions yell at me on Twitter or in the comments.