Thierry Lhermitte, Godfather of the Decrypthon program

“Launched by the AFM and IBM during the 2001 Telethon, the Decrypthon was a great success: thanks to sharing the unused computing power of PCs', research has dramatically sped up.

The first Decrypthon enabled the creation of a first protein map in a couple of weeks. It was the first time that research used shared computing, and we mobilized 75 000 internet users. This first operation was a fantastic success, which has generated a lot of enthusiasm, real community spirit and a lot of generosity.

In 2005, Decrypthon become the Decrypthon Program, which will be spread over several years. This time, the CNRS and French Universities have joined the adventure.

Small and large companies are called upon to fund a part of the program and to guarantee its durability. Internet users will be asked to cooperate with their computers when calculations require it. Decrypthon demonstrates that together, we are stronger and we go faster. I hope that the same enthusiasm will accompany this new project, which will last 3 years. A fascinating and ambitious project.”