EUMEDCONNECT2 Network Applications

The following are examples of scientific and educational projects where advanced connectivity makes a significant difference to their success.

Saving lives through ground-breaking drug discovery
High-speed networks and the huge data-managing capabilities of distributed (grid) computing are being used to accelerate the screening and study of drugs against malaria and avian flu.
Research teams in Italy and Egypt are jointly looking for drug-based alternatives to blood transfusion, currently the principal treatment for the blood disorder thalassaemia to minimise the risk of transmitting diseases.

Facilitating e-learning in medical training
EUMEDCONNECT2 and GÉANT2 support time-saving and cost-effective medical training across Europe and the Mediterranean.  Health professionals can attend virtual training sessions, share best practise, particularly with regard to clinical protocols, and participate in multi-party discussions and scientific workgroup meetings via video-conferencing.

Making education more flexible and accessible
Against the backdrop of limited mobility and a rapidly expanding student population in many Mediterranean countries, ICT-enabled distance learning is fast becoming an accepted method of providing broader access to and delivering education across the region. A reliable network connection enables students to enrol ‘virtually’ and attend lectures remotely, overcoming geographical barriers to education.

Contributing to sustainable development in the Mediterranean
The existence of powerful e-infrastructure tools enables scientists in the southern Mediterranean to engage in data-intensive climate research and climate change impact studies and thus to formulate recommendations. These in turn allow policy-makers to respond to global challenges, whilst addressing local concerns. 

Supporting grid-based computing applications
EUMEDGRID - the first distributed (grid) computing infrastructure in the region - has been established thanks to the high-capacity links provided by EUMEDCONNECT2 and its predecessor network. Various grid applications have been deployed, including collaborative modelling in water purification studies, bandwidth-hungry climate research, and the computer-intensive reconstruction of the sounds of ancient Mediterranean musical instruments.