Using the spatial-based game Foldit, in less than two weeks gamers managed to decipher the complex structure of M-PMV, an AIDS-like enzyme that has stumped scientists for over a decade.
By RYAN FLEMING
digitaltrends.com
SEPTEMBER 19, 2011
The next time someone catches you playing a video game and asks what you are doing, you can now say that you are helping to save lives. Sure, that explanation may not save your job or convince your significant other that you are doing good via your PC, but for some it is actually true.
Scientists from the University of Washington recently decided to try a different approach to help them understand the detailed molecular structure of a retroviral proteases enzyme known as M-PMV that is instrumental in spreading AIDS, as well as other diseases. For over a decade now researchers have looked for the exact chemical key that would help recreate the enzyme, but with no luck.
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