SARS has been sequenced!!
 

In news that will make at least a few people happy, IBM has sequenced the SARS virus. What does this mean? They have figured out the structure of it, and docters and scientists can use it to create anti-viral medications.

from http://www.megarad.com//modules.php?...ticle&sid=1319

""This weekend, using IBM technology running Linux, scientists at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, in collaboration with the BC Centre for Disease Control and the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg -- accomplished a breakthrough in the race the stop the spread of the deadly SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome): They completed the world's first genetic sequence of the coronavirus believed to be responsible for SARS. This milestone could open the door to a diagnostic test for the virus that has killed more than 130 people around the world, help with the development of anti-viral medications to treat those who become infected and, hopefully, one day, lead to a vaccine against the disease. The systems that enabled the sequencing of the coronavirus at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre included a cluster of IBM eServer xSeries systems running the Linux operating system." "

LINKS -
national geographic - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...5_sarsdna.html

IBM - http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/esdd/xs...dgr-lnxw1gSARS

Good to hear, I guess the next step is a cure?

Nope, now they'll bottle it up and sell it to the highest bidder. The money will then be used to pay for and addition to the moon base. I hear they need a swimming pool up there.

--End of paranoid rant--

It says that the viral sequence has been posted on the internet for the world's researchers to investigate.

Considering that fact, the ease of exchanging data, and the potential for large scale, short term distributed computing projects; does anyone think the internet could end up saving all our asses?