Tag Archives: Quantum Computing

Quantum Computing for the Real World: Ars Technica writes about POLARISqb and D-Wave

Just as the team was returning from some The page on PolarisQB from the Ars Technica website.well-deserved time off for the winter break, we got some fantastic news. The publication Ars Technica, a highly-respected group that reports on cutting-edge developments in the tech world, was set to release an article about POLARISqb and D-Wave, the quantum computer we use in our drug discovery pipeline. We were thrilled to hear that one of the most recognized names in scientific journalism took note of our work. The article's main message, which is by John Timmer, is that while quantum computing is in its infancy, only a few companies today have found a way to use this new technology to solve problems.

Quantum computers are not just an advancement in the evolution of computing, they are an entirely new frontier in computational calculation. As our CEO Dr. Shahar Keinan said in an interview recently, they cannot “provide us a better version of Microsoft word,” but they are particularly good at optimization problems. We use a quantum annealing computer known as Advantage, which was made by the Toronto-based company D-Wave Systems.

POLARISqb computational chemist Dr. Victoria Ingman described how the annealer can empower unprecedented multi-variable optimization, “The quantum annealer is a promising solution for questions concerning large, combinatorial search spaces, and searching chemical space for optimal molecules is a perfect example of this.” By developing a system that samples a chemical space of billions of molecules in a matter of minutes or even seconds, this kind of technology enables a revolution in quantum drug design. Ingman sees a great deal of potential in the POLARISqb Tachyon system, explaining that, “With so many variables that must be considered when defining what an "optimal molecule" is, it is easy to overwhelm a classical computer with the sheer number of iterations needed to perform an exhaustive search. [It is] exciting to add additional efficiency to the field of drug discovery and get better molecules more quickly to help treat diseases that may be too difficult to tackle with conventional methods.”

The whole team is celebrating this landmark publication for our company. POLARISqb chemist Dr. Anna Petroff, says it is “a huge honor to be profiled in Ars Technica by John Timmer. The chemists all rely on this technology for drug development, which is unique to PQB. One of the projects we are currently working on is blocking the activity of a protein that causes a particular neurological disease. In trying to block the protein's movement with a small molecule, we are trying to make a tiny wrench to be thrown into a tiny machine.” This kind of accuracy presents many challenges, as Petroff continued, “What is the best shape the wrench can be? Not only does it have to block the protein, but it needs many favorable qualities that define its effectiveness as a small molecule treatment. The PQB engineering team built the first quantum drug discovery platform that can utilize the D-Wave quantum annealer to search billions of molecules and optimize small molecule leads. To have our methods described in Ars Technica is amazing!”

As we continue to work at the vanguard of computational chemistry to build the first quantum drug design and discovery platform, we look forward to more stories like this one. By combining multiple technologies such as artificial intelligence and Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics processes with the growing power of quantum computing, we continue to seek to fulfill our mission of helping find treatments, "for all diseases, for all people."

QC Designs a Different Molecule
Drug discovery is a complicated process of identifying a small molecule that can bind to a specific protein pocket and change disease progression by blocking (or enhancing) the activity of that protein. Not only does it have to interact with the protein in a favorable manner, but it also must have the properties that make…
QC Designs a Different MoleculeQC Designs a Different Molecule
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POLARISqb Cited as Innovator by The Quantum Daily’s 2020 Survey

The Quantum Daily, a website that is dedicated solely to the coverage of the news and developments in the world of quantum computing, has recently completed its Quantum Technologies Survey. The data from this survey came in the form of responses from 35 leaders in the world of quantum, and covered topics including, "key quantum computing milestones, use cases, and investment in the space."

In terms of technical milestones that will have the most impact on the world of quantum computing, over 50% of respondents thought that one of two types of vanguard technology would have the greatest impact on the field, with 31% citing superconducting, and over 20% identifying trapped ion computing. But computing power alone does not hold the promise for utilizing quantum to solve the world's toughest problems, it takes applications to transform that power into results.

In discussing how quantum will be used to create real world solutions, The Quantum Daily reports that they, "consistently voted Chemistry and Pharma applications - where problems are quantum mechanical by nature - as the most likely to benefit from early stage practical quantum computers."  In this regard, the survey found that POLARISqb was one of the companies most often cited as having an impact in this space.  Building upon our use of annealing technology  to identify potential treatment molecules for Dengue fever, we have continued to research new ways to apply our suite of software across quantum platforms, opening up new pathways for drug discovery and accelerating the process by over 75%.  By revolutionizing the way protein analysis and computational chemistry can take place in a quantum environment, we create the potential for developing cures and treatments for a wide variety of ailments on a much faster timeline.

One area where the survey detailed a fairly uncharted path was for the future of funding for the quantum sector. While there was positive trend with 40% of respondents seeing increased government investment being offered to companies within the sector, investments that will undoubtedly result in further advancement of both technological development and a wider array of quantum applications in the future, private investment was seen as lagging behind by respondents, with only 20% saying that they see funding for quantum applications coming from venture capital firms. The sector overall was seen by over 60% of respondents of having valuations that are accurate to their potential, but the same percentage reporting that they believe there is currently not enough net investment in quantum computing and applications.

Though 2020 has offered challenges in various ways, the burgeoning growth in the quantum field has only accelerated during this period. We are honored to be recognized as an innovator in the field of quantum drug discovery and the use of quantum technologies for computational chemistry, and it is our hope that through our applications and projects we are able to reach the lofty goals of our company, to cure all disease, for all people.

D-Wave Takes Giant Leap in Computing with Advantage

Everyone in computing is familiar with the idea of Moore's Law, that computing power doubles every two years, but quantum computing could be making that premise a bit of an anachronism. Recently growth in the field of quantum computing has been accelerating at a rate that makes this seem like an antiquated adage of a simpler time.

This is especially evident in the news this week that D-Wave systems have released the first quantum computer designed to be used in commercial applications, The Advantage. The Advantage features 5000 connected qubits, a number that Frederic Lardinois from TechCrunch notes is over 2.5 times as large as their previous offering of 2000 connected qubits. This larger hardware is able to interconnect 15 interconnections simultaneously versus utilizing 6 interconnections in previous iterations.

These changes create a massive explosion in the computing power offered by the Advantage computer, giving it the ability to handle up to 1 million independent variables. Using their advanced Pegasus chip to link qubits, the computer is able to natively solve problems with between 600-800 variables, providing for a wide variety of commercial applications. As D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz told Emil Protalinski of Venture Beat, "There is no other quantum computer anywhere in the world that can solve problems at the scale and complexity that this quantum computer can solve problems. It really is the only one that you can run real business applications on. The other quantum computers are primarily prototypes. You can do experimentation, run small proofs of concept, but none of them can support applications at the scale that we can.

Putting computing power like this in the hands of innovators, researchers, and companies that are seeking to solve previously unsolvable problems is tremendously empowering. POLARISqb will have the ability to utilize platforms like the Advantage to power chemical and molecular searches on a scale that was previously unfathomable in the industry, optimizing the pace of drug discovery in ways never seen in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. With the pace of innovation in the world of quantum expected to continue and accelerate, it is our goal to make molecular analysis and protein targeting faster than ever before, developing the ability to provide treatments and cures for all diseases and all people.