US Army uses grid computing to crack smallpox virus

THE US ARMY is cooperating with United Devices Inc and Big Blue on a distributed scheme to spot molecules that can block the smallpox virus.

The project, which is hosted at www.grid.org, uses a screen saver so that PCs can work in the background on processing data, much like the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project.

The data will be used, according to US reports, to trace 200 molecules out of billions that can block the smallpox virus.

Western powers fear that smallpox will be used as a so-called weapon of mass destruction.

The rather disturbing thing about smallpox is that it was conquered worldwide, with only a few phials allegedly remaining for "research purposes".

Unfortunately, the evil genii appears to have flown out of the bottle.

Not absolutely everything could be accounted for in the 1970s, said Guy Grant, part of the project and who works at Oxford University, talking to BBC Radio 4 just a few minutes ago.

Smallpox vaccination stopped in 1980 so anyone younger than 20 won't be protected, while older people like us will have a reduced level of immunity.

He didn't explain how any samples of smallpox could have escaped from the US and Russian labs in the 1970s after the disease was eradicated. µ

*INQBLOT There is a Hindu goddess of smallpox called Mata Sitala, and worshipped to fend off the effects of the virus. See here.