Yes.
Malariacontrol.net is an epidemiology project and calculates spreading scenarios of malaria and how best to contain an outbreak.

The Olson Team will be more interested in a virology project that targets the malaria bug (because virology is the main businees of this superb team).

Hello Falconet,

Kudos for being observant! I wrote that paragraph a few months ago, in order to stake my claim on the name "AutoDocking Molecules to Fight Malaria" (AMFM). Since the first internet-distributed computing project focused on analyzing radio waves (i.e., SETI@Home), I want to use AMFM as the handle for the malaria project I plan to create on the WCG.

Unfortunately, we are still probably at least 1-2 years away from launching AMFM. I started this malaria project "for fun," mostly during my nights and weekends. I have now assembled a team of collaborators that includes a skilled medicinal chemist (Assoc. Prof. Subhash Sinha) and a prominent malaria parasitologist. I did a virtual screen with AutoDock that identified 6 potential inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase from malaria (i.e., Plasmodium falciparum DHFR). When my collaborator, Dr. Selina Bopp in Elizabeth Winzeler's lab at TSRI, tested these 6 compounds in malaria parasite growth assays in human red blood cells, 2 of the 6 compounds killed the wild type and a multi-drug-resistant malaria superbug at low micro-Molar concentrations. Thus, we have identified 2 promising "hits" against malaria. We have also designed many derivatives of one of these compounds, in order to try to both increase its potency and to allow us to test 4 different design strategies that have been shown to help suppress the evolution of drug resistance in other multi-drug-resistant superbug systems. I am now writing a paper on these exciting new results. I wrote two different grant proposals on this malaria project, but the review panels at the NIH did not like the fact that I am focusing on Pf DHFR. The NIH rejected these grant proposals, because they want me to use a different target.

Since we don't have any grant funds to pay for personnel, the computational equipment, the compounds we will want to test, or the cost of performing the assays, we will have to delay launching this project until we get some funding. Since I've started my 6th year as a postdoctoral fellow, I am currently applying for faculty positions at several different universities in the U.S. and in Canada, as well as at the NIAID (the section of the NIH that focuses on infectious diseases). When I get a faculty position or a job at the NIAID, I can use the "start-up funds" to pay for this malaria project against Pf DHFR and against another drug target from malaria I have selected recently. But we have to wait to try to launch AMFM on the WCG until some funding has been obtained for this project.

When I start my own lab, I also plan to try to create a WCG project focused on extremely-drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Although I won't continue to lead the day-to-day operations of FightAIDS@Home forever, when I start my own lab, I definitely plan to remain part of the FAAH team. Thus, my new lab will focus on the three deadliest infectious diseases: HIV, malaria, and TB.

Thank you all very much for your interest and for your help,
Alex L. Perryman, Ph.D.

Dr. Perryman,

if you had the funding now would you be able to start the project maybe even this year?

Rosetta@home got a grant from the Gates Foundation to develop HIV vaccines.
The grant was of 19.4 million dollars.
Rosetta@home designed potencial vaccines but there are no news about this since 2008.

Since you already have some "hits" that work I am almost certainly that The Gates Foundation will accept your proposal.

http://www.gatesfoundation.org

I hope I helped

Well I hope NIH eventually accept your proposals.

Also would it be possible to have a small area in the Fightaids@home website where would show how many compounds are "hits" and are being tested in the laboratory.Same for Leads if possible.

Something like:

Compounds select from computer simulations - X
Compounds being tested - X
Compounds demonstrating activity against HIV - X

Thank you Dr.Perryman