I'm signing up for the Rosetta@home project at BOINC (the malaria one, my favorite, is not currently active). Rosetta@home works to "determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases." From their FAQ:
Proteins perform many essential functions in the cells of living organisms. They replicate and maintain the genome (DNA), they help cells grow and divide, and stop them from growing too much, they give a cell its identity (eg liver, neuron, pancreatic, etc.), they help cells communicate with each other. Proteins, when mutated or when affected by toxins can also cause disease, such as cancer or alzheimer's. Bacterial and viral proteins can hijack a cell and kill it. In short, proteins do everything.
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