How is this project supposed to help us understand “real” genomes and proteins?
Genome@home studies real genomes and proteins directly, by designing new sequences for existing 3-D protein structures, which come from real genomes. The protein structure files that are sent out as work contain the Cartesian atomic coordinates of a protein. This data was obtained experimentally through X-ray crystallography or NMR techniques. Note that this was not done by us; thousands of scientists have spent decades compiling this data, which is generously made freely available to the public. By designing new sequences that could form these specific protein structures, we’re setting the stage to attack a number of significant contemporary issues in structural biology, genetics, and medicine.
