| GPUGRID |
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| Active Projects - Biology & Medicine |
GPUGRID, initially called PS3GRID, is a revolutionary project that harnesses the power of the PlayStation3's Cell processor and GPU's on newer NVIDIA graphics cards. Both of these types of processors can perform computational chemistry much faster than the CPU on a typical PC. As shown in the image below, a Cell (PlayStation3) processor works about 10 to 20 times faster than a CPU and a GPU is up to 100 times faster. However, these rates vary depending on the source. The BOINC team estimates that GPUs can be 2 to 10 times faster. Comparison of Processor Speeds - courtesy of www.cpugrid.net 
Multiscale Lab, out of Barcelona, Spain, is the current host of GPUGRID. They are using this newfound processor power for several biological projects which employ Molecular Dynamics. Molecular Dynamics (MD) is a computer analysis in which atoms and molecules interact in a simulated environment. Since it is impossible to observe reactions on this scale in the lab, MD provides scientists with an alternative. |