prodil89 Posted August 14, 2010 Report Posted August 14, 2010 Computer gamers crack protein-folding puzzle WHO says computer games are a waste of time? Players of the online game Foldit have managed to devise ways of folding proteins that had eluded both experts and protein analysis software. Foldit presents players with proteins whose amino acids they can manipulate to alter the protein's shape. The goal is to find the lowest-energy configuration, which is the shape that the protein would naturally adopt (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature09304). The game, developed by Seth Cooper and colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle, isn't just an intellectual challenge. It could also help in the design of proteins that have a therapeutic role. In April, the team reported that a player had found a way to fold a protein that could potentially help in neutralising an influenza virus. Source.... [url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727725.100-computer-gamers-crack-proteinfolding-puzzle.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news]Computer gamers crack protein-folding puzzle - tech - 10 August 2010 - New Scientist[/url] Quote
