With campuses closed, Bucks County Community College put their unused computers to work.
The community college has used the computers at their idled facilities as part of a global effort to research a cure for COVID-19, which caused the pandemic that closed the campuses.
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Chris Ebinger, a community college senior network technician, was already using his home computers for simulated experiments as part of IBM’s World Community Grid. He dreamed up using the community college computers as part of the IBM grid.
Ebinger asked his supervisor and faculty if he could connect some of the community college’s computers to the program that assists researchers looking for a cure.
In a statement, the community college said administration granted near-instant approval.
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About a dozen computers were connected to the IBM grid in mid-July with the help of IT staff and computer science faculty. In the time since, 35 community college computers have been hooked up to the grid.
“Let’s say that a certain protein can be exploited and a certain drug can help reduce the damage COVID causes to a person’s respiratory system. That simulation is run through World Community Grid computers and returned to IBM, and they analyze it,” said Ebinger, a community college IT employee for 12 years. “This helps treatment tremendously; instead of doctors prescribing a long list of pharmaceuticals and hoping something helps, they have real data that suggests one drug will work better than another so medication can be prescribed more intelligently.”
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The computers are processing 30 days of research every day. In a statement, the community college noted that more than three years worth of research has been sent in seven weeks.
IBM launched the World Community Grid program more than 15 years ago, and it has assisted with numerous scientific studies. The company said more than 650,000 individuals and 460 organizations have contributed. World Community Grid projects have previously included research for AIDS, childhood cancer, and tuberculosis.
Ebinger said he hopes the community college’s systems could eventually contribute to these efforts, too.
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“I would love to target the Bucks grid for other projects the World Community Grid has to offer, but right now, I feel COVID-19 is the priority,” said Ebinger. “When we have a vaccine or treatment and can congregate the way we used to, then we can discuss supporting the other projects.”
For the COVID-19 effort, Ebinger said he hopes it is successful and that the community college’s computer power is helpful.
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“I am delighted that a project I joined in my basement and supported in my free time has become such a huge contribution to further science.”
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