World Community Grid: OpenPandemics COVID-19 Project

Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 23 May 2020 - Updated: 29 Aug 2026
Publication Type: Charts, Graphs, Tables

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This information explains how idle computing power from personal devices can be harnessed through a volunteer distributed computing platform to accelerate scientific research such as COVID-19 drug discovery, cancer marker mapping, and infectious disease studies. It outlines the role of researchers at a major biomedical institute and describes how volunteers' computers run background simulations that predict compound interactions with viral proteins, with aggregated results delivered to professional research teams for analysis. The content is authoritative because it details active research collaborations and practical participation steps, offering useful context for individuals, including seniors or people with disabilities, who may be interested in contributing computational resources to science without direct physical involvement.

At a Glance

• 1 - Volunteers download a program that runs simulations only when the computer is not using its full power. The results are combined with millions from other volunteers and sent to Scripps Research for analysis.
• 2 - OpenPandemics COVID-19 is led by researchers in the Forli Lab at Scripps Research. All data, tools, and processes developed through the effort are shared freely with the wider scientific community.
• 3 - Scripps Research is a nonprofit medical research facility headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister site in Jupiter, Florida. It runs 250 laboratories and employs 2,400 scientists, technicians, students, and staff.
• 4 - Other grid projects include Smash Childhood Cancer, FightAIDS@Home, Mapping Cancer Markers, and the Microbiome Immunity Project. The Africa Rainfall Project runs storm simulations that help sub-Saharan farmers raise their crops.

Topic Definition

Volunteer Distributed Computing

Volunteer distributed computing is a way of pooling the unused processing power of everyday personal devices to tackle large scientific problems that would otherwise tie up expensive supercomputers. People install a small program that quietly runs research simulations in the background whenever their computer is idle, then sends the finished results back over the internet. A central platform, such as World Community Grid, gathers those millions of small contributions and hands the combined output to research teams for analysis. In the case of OpenPandemics COVID-19, that meant testing how chemical compounds might block viral proteins, letting ordinary volunteers speed up drug discovery without any special skills, money, or hands-on lab work.

Overview

COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV2, a virus of the coronavirus family. These viruses cause diseases that affect mainly the human respiratory system and potentially other major organs. COVID-19 can lead to serious illness or even death. You and your computer can help scientists at Scripps Research find potential treatments.

Scripps Research is a nonprofit American medical research facility focusing on biomedical science research and education. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute has 250 laboratories employing 2,400 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and administrative and other staff, making it the largest private, non-profit biomedical research organization in the United States and among the largest in the world.

First identified as pneumonia of unknown origin at the end of 2019, the disease was named COVID-19 in February 2020. COVID-19 proved to be highly infectious and quickly spread to every continent. Soon after COVID-19 was identified, scientists began creating a vaccine to help prevent the virus's spread. However, this process will likely take many months, or possibly years, even with a concerted, global effort among scientists and accelerated clinical trials.

When you become a World Community Grid volunteer, you donate your device's spare computing power to help scientists solve the world's biggest problems in health and sustainability. And because all data, tools, and processes that are developed through OpenPandemics - COVID-19 will be shared freely, the project can benefit the scientific community at large.

Other World Community Grid Projects

World Community Grid projects you can contribute computing power to include:

• Smash Childhood Cancer - Most current cancer research focuses on cancers that primarily affect adults. That's why World Community Grid volunteers are helping an international research team find new treatments for some of the most common childhood cancers.
• FightAIDS@Home - AIDS is constantly evolving. You, and your computer, can play a key role in helping the millions of people afflicted by this deadly virus.
• Mapping Cancer Markers - Early and accurate detection saves lives. Your computer can power the search for molecular markers to help researchers detect cancer earlier and design more effective cancer treatments.
• Microbiome Immunity Project - Trillions of bacteria inside our bodies may play a large role in developing diseases such as Type 1 diabetes. How? Help researchers find out in this comprehensive study of the human microbiome.
• Help Stop TB - Your computer can help researchers learn more about tuberculosis and how to overcome it. A third of the world's population harbors the tuberculosis bacterium, and the disease killed 1.5 million people in 2014, making it one of the world's deadliest diseases.
• Africa Rainfall Project - Your computer runs simulations of rainstorms in sub-Saharan Africa, and these simulations are used to help farmers successfully raise their crops. As the Africa Rainfall Project researchers receive the results of these simulations, they'll be compared with rainfall data from The Weather Company, satellite data, and ground observations.

Screenshot of the computer screen saver of Team Disabled World running the OpenPandemics COVID-19 Project.

Accelerate Research: No Investment of Time or Money

OpenPandemics - COVID-19 is one such effort, led by researchers in the Forli Lab at Scripps Research, who are accelerating the search by enlisting the help of World Community Grid volunteers.

As a World Community Grid volunteer, you download a software program to your computer. When your computer is not using its full computing power, it automatically runs a simulated experiment in the background which will help predict the effectiveness of a particular chemical compound in inhibiting functions of viral proteins as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Your computer then returns the results of the completed simulation and requests the next simulation. World Community Grid combines the results from your computer with millions of results from other volunteers worldwide and sends them to the Scripps Research team for analysis.

Editor: Well known for its SETI@home project, BOINC and Rosetta@home also run health and medical programs on home computers, including COVID-19, to predict the structure of proteins important to the coronavirus disease as well as to produce new, stable mini-proteins to be used as potential therapeutics and diagnostics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is joining World Community Grid free to participate in

Yes, the platform is free to join and volunteers contribute only their spare computing power, so there is no investment of time or money required.

Will running the software slow down my computer

No, the program only runs simulations when your computer is not using its full computing power, so your normal tasks take priority.

What kind of device can I use to volunteer

Volunteers donate spare processing power from personal devices such as home computers, making participation possible for many people, including seniors and people with disabilities.

Does the OpenPandemics project only study COVID-19

Its main focus was COVID-19 treatments, but the tools and open approach were designed so future results could help researchers respond faster to other pandemics.

Who owns the results produced by the project

All data, tools, and processes developed through OpenPandemics COVID-19 are shared freely, so the wider scientific community can benefit from the findings.

How does volunteer computing compare to other projects like SETI at home

It uses the same idle-time model made popular by SETI at home, with platforms such as BOINC and Rosetta at home also running health and medical programs.

Can businesses or schools contribute computing power

Yes, organizations, teams, and classrooms can install the software on multiple machines to increase the amount of research computing power they donate.

Do I need scientific knowledge to take part

No, the process is fully automated once installed, so non-expert contributors can support complex biomedical research without any technical background.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: In an era where scientific challenges demand both computational horsepower and broad civic participation, the model of volunteer distributed computing represents a pragmatic fusion of public engagement and research acceleration. By clearly outlining how non-expert contributors can support complex biomedical and humanitarian inquiries, this piece not only informs but also demystifies a technical process - making participation accessible to a wide audience. The transparent explanation of projects and outcomes underscores the tangible impact that collective computing can have on pressing global health issues.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability, a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.