Advancing the search for more versatile and less expensive materials for solar energy, Harvard has launched a free database that catalogs the suitability of 2.3 million organic, carbon compounds for converting sunlight into electricity. Harvard's Clean Energy project screened the molecules using World Community Grid, which was created and managed by IBM, and provides computing power to scientists by harnessing the unused cycle time of volunteers' computers. Participants get involved by downloading software to their Linux, Windows, or Mac computer that runs when they take breaks or work on lightweight computer tasks. The software receives, completes, and returns small computational assignments to scientists.
"We are glad to be releasing the data computed by the volunteers from IBM's World Community Grid to the public. Our first analysis of the data has been submitted for publication, but now with all the data readily available online in MolecularSpace.org, many others around the world can further analyze it to accelerate discovery," said Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University and leader of the Clean Energy Project, who blogged about the project on CitizenIBM.