Gamers Unlock Protein Mystery That Baffled AIDS Researchers For Years

Gamers Unlock Protein Mystery That Baffled AIDS Researchers For Years

www.pcmag.com

In just three weeks, gamers deciphered the structure of a key protein in the development of AIDS that has stumped scientists for years. According to a study published Sunday in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the findings could present a significant breakthrough for AIDS and HIV research.

Using an online game called Foldit, players were able to predict the structure of a protein called retroviral protease, an enzyme that plays a critical role in the way HIV multiplies.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
the-scientist.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Possibility Of Treating Brain-Wasting Mad Cow Disease
Fertility Hormones can Cause Brain-wasting Disorder
'Lifeless' Prion Proteins Are 'Capable of Evolution'
SCI/TECH: Mad Cow Madness

Another reason to protect the free and open Internet.

When proteins misfold they can cause disease and spread. Infectious misfolded proteins are "prions" - the same agents that cause Mad Cow disease and underlie most "modern diseases of civilization." Understanding proteins' folding -and misfolding- processes and structures is critical to protecting public health. And scientists need all the help they can get. In this case, the help came from online gamers. Who'da thunk it?

Go Gamers!




Foldit - Wiki

www.pcmag.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by soficrow

the us government has known the cure for aids
since aids begun



forgot to mention this has already been posted.

reply to post by UniverSoul


This isn't so much about a "cure" for AIDS - it's about:

1. Protecting the Free and Open Internet, and showing how it's valuable to humanity;

2. Understanding prions; and

3. Recognizing that common industrial processes cause proteins to misfold and create disease-causing infectious prions (note that vaccine manufacturing is an industrial process).

Related and also IMPORTANT:

Cancer to be a "Notifiable Disease" in India



...Can't believe I forgot to link this in the OP!

Edit: Nevermind... I was thinking of something different.

Go gamers!

reply to post by UniverSoul

forgot to mention this has already been posted.
edit on 19-9-2011 by UniverSoul because: (no reason given)

Where? Do you have a link? I'd like to read that thread.


I searched, found nothing on this, but found out Stanford has a similar game for the Alzheimer's prion: Stanford Helps Fight Alzheimer's with PS3

BTW - I know it's politically incorrect, but I call ALL disease-causing misfolded proteins infectious 'prions.' 'Cuz they are.

In Stargate Universe, the code to unlock the 9th chevron, which dials the massive intergalactic and nomadic ship "Destiny" was unlocked, finally, by a gamer.

It's cool to see reality reflect fantasy once again. The military already uses games to conduct research, train soldiers and run scenarios.

Some notable uses are war gaming, driving simulators, flight simulators, combat simulaters, virtual immersive environment simulators, weapon simulators, and trauma simulators.

Go nerds.

reply to post by soficrow


www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by UniverSoul
reply to post by soficrow

 

the us government has known the cure for aids
since aids begun



forgot to mention this has already been posted.

edit on 19-9-2011 by UniverSoul because: (no reason given)

Bull.

I've been a "Gamer" for years ever since PONG.

Yes, I'm that old.

After the service I even worked for a few years as a Beta Testerr for a large game software developer if there is one thing I can honestly say about Gamers is that they are awesome at and known for [Thinking outside the box] while figuring out and deciphering puzzles, mazes and mysteries etc. This doesn't really surprise me.

S & F

Bring on the Trolls stereotyping Gamers...

You Will Be Pwned for free

reply to post by sbctinfantry


Hahahaha...I thought of Eli from SGU as well when I first saw this thread.

I'll have to check out this Foldit game now...

reply to post by steveknows

Bull.

That is the most rubbish answer ever. Maybe it is bull maybe it is not. It would be good if you said why is it bull.. Or is that just your bull opinion....
Back on topic its great to see gamers making a useful contribution to live..

It is important for us to use all of our assets in solving humanity's problems. During WW2, the code breakers at Bletchley Park included many people without formal education who were skilled at crossword and other puzzles. The code breakers used a model of the enigma machine, supplied by Polish resistance, to crack the German codes. Capture of the U-505 was immensly helpful with the Naval codes, but much of the allied success in land battles was due to the Bletchley code breakers [and the Nazi propensity for starting the crypto day with an appropriate quote from Goethe or Hitler.]
With disease, we are fighting a war that has no end and, by using our skilled and dedicated gamers as a virtual Bletchley, we can crack the disease codes for the medical people to plan attack strategies. The more minds we have working, the better, and developing games directed at solving real-world problems is certainly worthwhile.

Originally posted by sbctinfantry

It's cool to see reality reflect fantasy once again. The military already uses games to conduct research, train soldiers and run scenarios.

Some notable uses are war gaming, driving simulators, flight simulators, combat simulaters, virtual immersive environment simulators, weapon simulators, and trauma simulators.

The reverse of this is true also, actual real-time world controlled like a gaming console, on steroids. The ultimate 8 years of my career until retirement was largely spent at a console with scopes, monitors, guages, buttons, foot controls, joystick with trigger and buttons, voice comm, etc. I worked for the Department of Navy. A lot of 17-year-olds would have loved to had my job.

Never cured any diseases doing this but I'm sure I at least indirectly helped put a number of folks in the hospitals.

reply to post by UniverSoul


Thanks. Missed it.

Posted there and gave it an S&F&

Protect the free and open Internet, indeed.

I, too, am a gamer. In every since of the word. As a youth i played Dungeons and Dragons. Of course, i was never heckled for it, since i was all state at another game i played: football.

I am currently nursing a 5 year long Call of Duty addiction on XBox Live.

I even approach my job like a game. Currently, i am a controller (accountant and cost provisioning). My "score" is gross profit margin a well as net profit. Since i really hate wealth, it is how i justify my job (by viewing money as an abstract) being juxtaposed against my personal views and principles.

Originally posted by soficrow
reply to post by UniverSoul

 

This isn't so much about a "cure" for AIDS - it's about:

1. Protecting the Free and Open Internet, and showing how it's valuable to humanity;

2. Understanding prions; and

3. Recognizing that common industrial processes cause proteins to misfold and create disease-causing infectious prions (note that vaccine manufacturing is an industrial process).

.... and harnessing the potential of the collective minds to solve problems and benefit man ... of which this is a perfect example ...

PS3 Community Amazing

Originally posted by 1111movement
PS3 Community Amazing

A W S D - L Shift - R - F5 - Esc - Ctrl - RM - LM - Scroll etc...

Console players are not real Gamers