SSS 2011-09-22
时间:2011-10-07 06:21:57
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(单词翻译)
This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute.
Scientists can now include online gaming in their problem-solving
arsenal1. Because game players seem to have provided an answer to a scientific question that's
vexed2 researchers for a decade.
Scientists wanted to know the structure of a protein-cutting
enzyme3 produced by a retrovirus similar to HIV. They haven't been able to solve the protein structure using standard computational methods.
Now, the game—researchers developed Foldit in 2008. Teams of players fold
molecules4 and rotate amino acids to create 3-D protein structures. Gamers get points for structure stability.
So researchers asked gamers to try to solve this particular protein. Within three weeks, the gamers found a good solution. The scientists then refined it and were able to completely determine the protein's structure. Having the structure could inform the use of drugs to block the enzyme, and provide another tool against retroviruses, including HIV.
The researchers say that people have better
spatial5 reasoning skills than computers—and that having both humans and machines attack the problem might overcome various
structural6 challenges. The results appear in the journal Nature Structural and
Molecular7 Biology.Co-authored by researchers—and a number of gamers.
Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American's 60-Second Science, I'm Cynthia Graber.
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