Winnipeg teen saves cancer researchers decades in data processing time

Dylan Bucci had a dream: He wanted to help cancer researchers in Canada fast-track complex computations.

That was 2018.

Bucci, then a Grade 10 student at Sisler High School and an avowed computer science enthusiast, was inspired by a previous assignment that harnessed unused computer processing power. But Bucci took the idea to the next level, collaborating with the World Community Grid, a volunteer network of computing platforms.

Bucci harnessed the unused computing power of the servers at Sisler High School and shared that power with the World Community Grid.

Researchers at the Krembil Research Institute in Toronto, via the World Community Grid and its connection to the Sisler servers, sent complex data calculations to the school. The servers completed the calculations and sent the information back to the researchers at the institute.

Robert Esposito, the cyber-security teacher at Sisler High School who helped Bucci with the project, estimated Bucci, via the World Community Grid connection, saved researchers several decades of computation time, thereby fast-tracking advancements in research.

"He was actually able to contribute tens of years of advance access the scientific community was looking for," Esposito said.

The student wasn't able to see the full impact of his work. In February 2022, he died at age 19. He had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma at the start of the pandemic.

"It never stopped him from doing what he loved," said Spencer Bucci, Dylan's brother. "He pushed through everything, all the pain, all the suffering. He continued to keep tabs on the research to see if there was something he could do remotely."

Bucci's quest to harness the computing power and his abbreviated life are now the subject of a short documentary by three students in the Create program at Sisler High School in Winnipeg. The post-high program trains students in the creative digital arts, including filmmaking.

Create students Sean Monfero, Evan Rivard and Patrik Dela Cuesta, all 18, produced the story about Bucci.

The short documentary was produced as part of CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create, an ongoing video storytelling collaboration.

Meet the filmmakers

Sean Monfero loves film production, lighting and editing. He loves to experiment with his filmmaking, trying new techniques and working with other creative storytellers. When he isn't behind a camera, you can find him snoozing in his bed or hanging out with his friends.

Evan Rivard is a new student to Sisler and the Create program. He has been making and watching movies ever since he was a toddler. He has a deep passion and desire to tell poignant stories in all types of films.

Patrik Dela Cuesta has been experimenting with different types of editing techniques and motion graphics since middle school. He is also a car enthusiast who can regularly be found at meets near Portage Avenue.

More about Project POV: Sisler Create

CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC Manitoba journalists to produce short docs. The collaboration is in its second year. Past projects can be found here.

During fall 2023, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking students and led producing workshops over several weeks at the Create program at Sisler High School.

The post-high school program focuses on education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.