Intellectual Property Statement for the Anthrax Research Project

Intellectual Property Statement for the Anthrax Research Project

The Anthrax Research Project will attempt to analyse molecules against the Anthrax toxin protein. This project is made possible through the support of several organisations which have made various contributions to this effort. The organisations include Intel Corporation (Intel), Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft), the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), Oxford University (Oxford), Treweren Consultants Limited (Treweren) and United Devices, Inc. (UD). NFCR provides research funding to Professor Graham Richards' group at Oxford, which develops and screens the drug candidate molecules. Treweren contributes the processing software, and contracts with UD to place the software in a distributed computing environment. UD developed the MetaProcessor platform, the distributing computing technology, and contracts with the PC owners for the use of their idle computing time. Intel and Microsoft have provided funding, technology and marketing support to assist in the launch of the project. The hope is that a combination of the above efforts will help identify the most promising drug candidates to combat the Anthrax toxin. This is the very first step in what could be a lengthy drug development process.

Intel, Microsoft, NFCR, Treweren and UD each acknowledge that they have no rights in the results of the Project, and will not benefit from their use. Oxford will control access by third parties to the results, as well as use them in connection with Oxford's teaching, research and public service mission.

Amongst the results will be a list of 'hits' and their relative scores. When a molecular conformation docks successfully and triggers an interaction with the protein, it registers as a hit and is scored or ranked for strength of interaction. The ranked list of hits which could form the basis for a protection against Anthrax will be made available without restriction to the United States Government and other friendly Governments, so that they can take the 'hits' and further process and develop them to help combat bioterrorism.

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