Questions for fellow Soupers

[Mahala]

I thought maybe we could post here any random questions we get for other people on the forum ....

you know when you have a burning question you are want to ask someone, but it doesn't fit into the thread where it first occured to you? Put them here!

This is where I find out that only I get these questions and the rest of you are looking at you screen with blank stares .... :rolleyes:


Anyway .... today's question goes to ......... DRUMROLL ...........

DAN!!!

OK Dan, just what exactly are we sposed to be folding at home? :confused:

[Diesel]

This is really better suited for the Distributed Computing forum.

But to answer your question, we're folding Proteins.
Most of the questions you might have as to "why" are answered on the Folding@Home website (http://folding.stanford.edu).
To summarize, protein folding occurs naturally, but sometimes proteins fold abnormally. By running computerized models of proteins folding in different ways, the project hopes to be able to predict how abnormally folded proteins interact with other chemicals in the body, and cause disease. By predicting the interactions folded proteins have with other chemicals, they can formulate better vaccines and medicines to counter those diseases.

To quote an article at http://www.faseb.org/opar/protfold/protein.html:
Alzheimer's disease. Cystic fibrosis. Mad Cow disease. An inherited form of emphysema. Even many cancers. Recent discoveries show that all these apparently unrelated diseases result from protein folding gone wrong. As though that weren't enough, many of the unexpected difficulties biotechnology companies encounter when trying to produce human proteins in bacteria also result from something amiss when proteins fold.

Hope that answers both the "what" and "why". :D

[Prox]

Originally posted by Diesel Dan
This is really better suited for the Distributed Computing forum.



Agreed :nod: Moving there now

[WaterB]

Anyway .... today's question goes to ......... DRUMROLL ...........

DAN!!!

OK Dan, just what exactly are we sposed to be folding at home? :confused:


lol.. nice setup

[Mahala]

Thanks for replying Dan, makes more sense now!

As to moving the thread, perhaps there's been a bit of a misunderstanding. The thread wasn't intended to be a thread about Dan's sig line, but a thread where people asked questions of other people on the forum that have been bugging them.

For instance, I asked Dan today what we should be folding, but tomorrow I might choose to ask Lobo what planet he's from ..... and that's not better suited to Distributed Computing .....


it was intended to be more of a general thread ....

sorry boys, but is there any of chance of having it moved back?

pwetty pwease? *bats eyelashes*
:naughty: :heybaby:

[Alyth]

Hey Dej :)

I got what you were intending however I'm afraid if I move this thread back it will get moved again so why not start a new one thread asking a more generalised question to someone so there's no confusion. Your idea sounds like a fun thing to do :)

[Diesel]

Well, to be honest, most of the questions to the general population would usually fit in at least on forum.

And those directed at a specific user are better kept in PMs.