World’s Fastest Supercomputer Takes on Coronavirus

Researchers are using IBM’s supercomputer “Summit” to identify drug compounds that could effectively stop the coronavirus from infecting host cells.

By: Joseph Guzman

The world’s fastest and smartest supercomputer has identified dozens of small-molecule drug compounds that could potentially be used to stop the coronavirus from infecting host cells, a crucial step for developing a much-needed drug treatment to combat the novel coronavirus.

Researchers at the U.S. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory used IBM’s supercomputer “Summit,” to screen more than 8,000 compounds to identify those most likely to bind to the main “spike” protein of the coronavirus, rendering it unable to infect host cells.

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photo: courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)