Predictor@home

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Predictor@home is a distributed computing project that uses BOINC and is run by The Scripps Research Institute to predict protein structure from protein sequence in the context of the 6th biannual CASP, or Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction. A major goal of the project is the testing and evaluating of new algorithms to predict both known and unknown protein structures.

Predictor@home is complementary to Folding@home. Whereas the latter aims to study the dynamics of protein folding, Predictor@home aims to specify what the final tertiary structure will be. Also, the two projects differ in the infrastructure they use. Predictor@home uses BOINC, whereas Folding@home maintains its own separate infrastructure, but plans on transitioning to BOINC and is currently operating a beta test under the BOINC architecture.

However, Predictor@home competes with another BOINC project, Rosetta@home. Each are testing different methods of predicting the final tertiary structure for speed and reliability.

On September 6, 2006, Predictor@home was temporarily taken offline; with no new work units being sent out. Work units have since started to be distributed again.

A discussion about the relationship between the administration of a distributed computing project and the volunteers participating in it was triggered by massive banning in the project's internal forum by the administrator. As an open discussion was forestalled in this forum, it was continued in external forums where community dissent continues to build.

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