What is this DU Folding Team stuff? I musta had a day off when

[Skidmore]

this started? I don't get it? What are we folding? Laundry? Letters? Cake batter?

[hang a left]

1. It is something to do with letting a university use your computer

to do math problems. It is very interesting. I wish I could explain it better.

[phantom power]

2. We are folding proteins.

Simulating the process of a peptide chain folding around itself, to assume it's stable shape.

[AllegroRondo]

3. Its the Origami team?

the sport finally got admitted to the Olympics?

[Mabus]

4. goal via Stanford folding website

Our goal: to understand protein folding, misfolding, and related diseases

What is protein folding and how is folding linked to disease? Proteins are biology's workhorses -- its "nanomachines." Before proteins can carry out these important functions, they assemble themselves, or "fold." The process of protein folding, while critical and fundamental to virtually all of biology, in many ways remains a mystery.

Moreover, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. "misfold"), there can be serious consequences, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many Cancers and cancer-related syndromes.

CURRENT PROJECTS AND PROGRESS TO DATE:

* Alzheimer's Disease
* Cancer
* Huntington's Disease
* Osteogenesis Imperfecta
* Parkinson's Disease
* Ribosome & antibiotics
http://folding.stanford.edu/

[skids]

5. It's a cute name for a project like SETI

Instead of Folding@Home They could have called it "Computational prediction of protein tertiary structure" but that's harder to market.

Instead of contact with extraterrestrials, though, the stakes are improvements in medicine and nanotechnology.

[bananas]

6. discussion link: "DU computers UNITE!!"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x16436

[corporate_mike]

7. better link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=38723&mesg_id=38723