Predictor@home was a distributed computing project that used BOINC.[1] It was established 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 was the testing and evaluating of new algorithms to predict both known and unknown protein structures.[2] The project was most recently run by the University of Michigan.[3]
Predictor@home was complementary to Folding@home.[4] Whereas the latter aims to study the dynamics of protein folding, Predictor@home aimed to specify what the final tertiary structure will be.[2] Also, the two projects differ significantly in the infrastructure they use. Predictor@home used BOINC, whereas Folding@home maintains its own software completely outside of BOINC.[5][6]
However, for a time, Predictor@home competed with other BOINC protein structure prediction projects, such as Rosetta@home. Each uses different methods of rapidly and reliably predicting the final tertiary structure.[7]
Predictor@home is currently inactive.[8][9]
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On September 6, 2006, Predictor@home was temporarily taken off line, with no new work units being sent out.
In May, 2008, the project reverted to Alpha status, in that it is experimenting with new methods.
Over the summer of 2008, the project servers were moved to the University of Michigan.
Since December, 2008, the project has not sent out any work for some months. BOINC stats sites are unable to obtain updated XML data, as this has been suspended by the project team.
On June 10, 2009, the Predictor@home web site and forums ceased to function and appear to have been shut down.
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