lpetrich

Over at the <a href="http://gnn.tigr.org" target="_blank">the Genome News Network</a>, there is an article about some biological imitators of <a href="http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu" target="_blank">SETI@home</a>.

<a href="http://folding.stanford.edu" target="_blank">Folding@Home</a> is about finding out how proteins fold into the shapes most suitable for their functions by doing molecular-dynamics (ball-and-spring-model) calculations. A straightforward calculation suggests a time longer than the age of the Universe for typical proteins, because a protein can have an enormous number of possible shapes, but proteins fold by going through a lot of intermediate shapes that are partially-folded, as this project's simulations reveal. Furthermore, increasing temperature will unfold many proteins, and this project has precisely predicted some proteins' folded fraction at different temperatures.

The long-folding-time calculations are precisely parallel to calculations that purport to demonstrate that some protein or other could not have been a result of evolution, because its sequence is only one of an enormous number of similar-length random sequences. But just as a protein folds through intermediate stages, evolution through intermediates is much more probable, as is known from simulated-evolution experiments.

One fun feature of that site is a map showing where the participants live -- there are interesting geographical patterns.

<a href="http://GenomeAtHome.stanford.edu" target="_blank">Genome@Home</a> is a related project; it uses genome data to help design proteins with new functions.

<a href="http://www.evolutionary-research.net" target="_blank">Evolution@home</a> is for doing simulations relevant to evolutionary biology. Currently, it is doing simulations associated with "Muller's Ratchet", a tendency for deleterious mutations to increase over time in asexual and small sexual populations.

<a href="http://www.fightaidsathome.org" target="_blank">FightAIDS@Home</a> -- have your computer participate in an effort to find some drug that can interfere with AIDS-virus replication enzymes.

NeilUnreal

At an internet company I used to own with some friends of mine, we had tons of excess CPU power and network bandwidth (due, unfortunately, to a lack of customers ). One of my friends decided to take the initiative and he set up everything so that every spare cycle went to some kind of distributed AIDS drug research. We actually won a couple of awards based on the number of cycles we ran. (We even got prizes $$$ -- though we would have done it for free!)

-Neil

Richiyaado

I would probably forgo my long-standing participation with SETI@home (196 units so far) in favor of any of these, as I believe they all have the potential for yielding greater real benefits. Unfortunately, none of them offer versions for my iMac. The one exception is Folding@home, but the only version offered is for OS X, which I don't use.

I suspect there are lots of Mac users who'd participate, if only they could.

Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

Forgo? Bah I say! I shall run all constantly, since I have a fast processor, I can probably handle it.

Dark Jedi

Yea, but they need cooperative cycles, not elitist holier-than-thou cycles. Thus no Mac version...

Richiyaado

Hey, no fair! I'm not a Mac snob. I work in graphics, and years ago when software for professional graphic production first came out, there really was no other choice. Since my investment over time in upgrades, updates, etc. has been considerable, I've stuck with it. If I were to start over, I'm not so sure I'd go with the Mac because all the graphics software I use has long been available for the PC, and it's clear you can get a lot more for your money.

Please don't tell Steve Jobs I said this.