Millions of personal computer users around the world are being asked to help scientists find a cure for cancer.
The joint venture partners - Oxford University and US technology company United Devices - and project sponsor Intel, say it will speed up research into new cancer drugs.
The project aims to exploit unused power from PCs to process information on molecules and send it back to a central server. Studies quoted by the university estimate that, on average, office workers use as little as 20 percent of the power available on their PCs.
Oxford University hopes to screen 250 million molecules by this technique, known as peer-to-peer (P2P) networking. If they succeed, it will be the world's largest ever computational project.
"The sheer size of the project, and the energy and computing facilities required, would make it impossible without this method of distributed computing; even using a super-computer a researcher could not otherwise hope to see a project like this completed during their lifetime," the university said in a statement.
Researchers estimate one million people will participate in the program at least once, making it possible to complete the screening of the 250 million molecules in a year.
Computer users who participate in the project will receive an initial package of 100 molecules over the internet, along with a software application called THINK and models of target proteins known to be involved in causing cancer.
Keith Davies, who developed the THINK software at Oxford, estimated the new method could bring forward cancer research by two years.
He said if a drug could be found that inhibits the development of blood vessels it would be a breakthrough, especially in the treatment of secondary cancers which are unresponsive to radiotherapy.
"It gives everyone with a PC the chance to help, and it costs nothing," Davies said.
Graham Richards, chairman of chemistry at Oxford said: "One in four people throughout the world contract some form of cancer, so nearly everyone will have a relative, friend or colleague who has suffered or is suffering from the disease."
Those who want to participate in the project can download the non-invasive device from United Devices' Web site www.ud.com.
"If they succeed, it will be the world's largest ever computational project"
And if they fail?
There have been many similar efforts, including SETI (which hasn't succeeded yet ...) and the Bovine challenge, which did. If Intel would also release the software for PCs other than Windows, I think they would more than double the computing power of the challenge.
Linux and Mac enthusiasts did significantly more work in the Bovine challenge (cracking 40 and 128 bit encryption keys) than Windows PCs, so why lock them out of this one? Or has Intel's sponsorship got something to do with it?