This document discusses cloud computing and its potential applications in life sciences and healthcare. It defines cloud computing and describes different cloud deployment models including public, private, and hybrid clouds. It also outlines key cloud computing characteristics like elasticity, on-demand provisioning, and resource pooling. The document then provides examples of how pharmaceutical and biotech companies like Novartis and Schrodinger are using public cloud infrastructure for large-scale computational modeling and virtual screening to accelerate drug discovery. Regulatory compliance considerations for healthcare cloud adoption are also discussed.