Interactive protein folding

A forum for general discussion of the game: Open to all punters


Post Reply
User avatar
Merlyn_LeRoy
Posts: 555
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:35 pm
Location: Minnesota
Contact:

Interactive protein folding

Post by Merlyn_LeRoy »

(The fold.it website is currently under a large load due to a recent Nature article)

OK, folding@home is great for solving protein folding, but here's a more interactive style:
http://fold.it/portal/
Online gamers have solved the structure of a retrovirus enzyme whose configuration had stymied scientists.

The players were adept at a computer game, Foldit, that allows players to collaborate and compete in predicting the structure of protein molecules.

After scientists repeatedly failed to piece together the structure of a protein-cutting enzyme from an AIDS-like virus, they called in the Foldit players.

The scientists challenged the gamers to produce an accurate model of the enzyme.

This class of enzymes, called retroviral proteases, has a critical role in how the AIDS virus matures and proliferates.

Intensive research is underway to try to find anti-AIDS drugs that can block these enzymes, but efforts were hampered by not knowing exactly what the retroviral protease molecule looked like.

"We wanted to see if human intuition could succeed where automated methods had failed," said biochemist Firas Khatib of the University of Washington (UW).

Remarkably, the gamers generated models good enough for the researchers to refine and determine the enzyme's structure within a few days.

Equally amazing, surfaces on the molecule stood out as likely targets for drugs to de-active the enzyme.
Lots more info at the site. Looks to be orthogonal to F@H (that is, you can do fold.it without significantly affecting F@H cycles).

They have protein folding contests, and yes, they have teams/groups. Want official KS team pls!
User avatar
Shades of gray
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:12 pm
Location: Those two eyes under that rock, yeah, the ones watching you? Thats me...

Re: Interactive protein folding

Post by Shades of gray »

ive already been messing about with fold.it, more interesting then F@H IMO
2 kidneys for sale, slightly used, non-functional, no refunds.
Image
User avatar
Mirage_GSM
Posts: 6212
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:24 am
Location: Germany

Re: Interactive protein folding

Post by Mirage_GSM »

If you want a KS-Team, just create one. I'm sure none of the Devs will mind. I think that's what happened at F@H as well.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
Sore wa himitsu desu.
User avatar
Panty Supervisor
Posts: 280
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:15 am
Location: Germany

Re: Interactive protein folding

Post by Panty Supervisor »

Now you can fold while your computer folds!
xzibit-yo-dawg.jpg
xzibit-yo-dawg.jpg (16.62 KiB) Viewed 2988 times
Yuuko > Misha > Emi > Hanako > Lilly > Shizune > Rin
Post Reply