A HARVINGTON man who called on computer users to join the fight against HIV and cancer, has passed a remarkable milestone.

Keith Davies is spearheading a campaign to create a network of computers for testing potentially life-saving molecules.

By downloading specialist software designed by Mr Davies, people can 'donate' their computer's spare time to the research effort - at no cost to themselves.

Since making an appeal in the Journal last month, Mr Davies has tested millions of molecules and has set his sights even higher.

"We have finished processing 40,000,000 molecules against the first HIV target. I did not expect to complete this so quickly- we are running twice as fast as I had expected," he said.

"The next stage will be to upscale the number of molecules from 40,000,000 to 400,000,000.

"We have been making steady progress and have attracted a significant number of new members."

Mr Davies estimates that some 10,000 people are now involved in the project which has previously been used to find molecules exhibiting anti-cancer properties.

Getting involved in the scheme is a simple matter of downloading Mr Davies' THINK programme from the internet.

"It uses the idle computer power so that when you are sitting and thinking what to type next the software is processing molecules. Then, when you start typing again, all the computer power comes back to whatever it is you are doing."

To get involved in the Find-a-Drug scheme log on to www.find-a-drug.org and follow the simple instructions. "Hopefully we will be finished before Christmas," added Mr Davies.