10001505Practical improvements to the performance of quantum simulation for drug-protein bindingClosedFeasibility StudiesISCFThe process of discovering and testing new drugs is very expensive and takes a long time. The average cost of discovering a new drug and bringing it to market has tripled since 2010, reaching almost $3bn in 2018\. Current methods for discovering new drugs are unreliable and involve a 'trial-and-error' approach. Pharmaceutical companies want to reduce the cost and shorten the time it takes to develop a new drug. We want to solve this problem by using quantum computers to speed up the process of drug discovery. This is a fundamentally different approach to using normal or so-called 'classical' computers. In this project, we will use the properties of quantum systems to make big improvements in computational speed and accuracy. Pharmaceutical companies could then identify, screen and simulate new drugs on a computer rather than using expensive, trial-and-error approaches in the laboratory. Some early work has been completed using quantum computers in drug discovery, but there are still many errors using this approach. Another problem is the quantum industry, which is currently very fragmented as it is in such an early stage of development. This project brings together the UK's leading quantum software and hardware companies -- Riverlane and Rigetti UK -- to help solve the technical challenge of reducing errors in quantum computing. We will work together to fine-tune the algorithms and methods used in quantum computing by developing an 'error mitigation layer'. We will also build a computer platform that can be used by the pharmaceutical industry to screen new drugs. To check that it works, we will integrate our new technology into the existing workflows of UK pharmaceutical company, Astex, a global leader in cancer drug discovery. The UK is home to several large pharmaceutical companies. It is also a global leader in quantum technology. Our project therefore has real national value. By bringing Riverlane, Rigetti UK and Astex together, our ambition is to take a first step towards creating a game-changing quantum product for UK pharmaceutical companies to make their drug discovery easier, quicker and cheaper. This project will also allow Riverlane and Rigetti UK to accelerate the development of their software and hardware products to strengthen the UK quantum industry.