In the WCG forums, someone asked how HPF related to Rosetta.

The answer given was that Rosetta develops the software, but that HPF actually uses it, leaving the impression that Rosetta is not doing any actual work in protein folding research.

Is that true? If not, what is the accurate statement? I gave them this quote, which they totally ignored:

"Rosetta@home needs your help to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases. By running the Rosetta program on your computer while you don't need it you will help us speed up and extend our research in ways we couldn't possibly attempt without your help. You will also be helping our efforts at designing new proteins to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's (See our Disease Related Research for more information). Please join us in our efforts! Rosetta@home is not for profit."

There is also on the Rosetta site:

"Over the past several years, we have used our computational protein design method to stabilize dramatically several small proteins by redesigning every residue of their sequences, to redesign protein backbone conformation, to convert a monomeric protein to a strand-swapped dimer, and to thermostabilize an enzyme. A highlight was the redesign of the folding pathway of protein G, a small protein containing two beta-hairpins separated by an alpha-helix. In the naturally occurring protein, the first hairpin is disrupted and the second hairpin is formed at the rate limiting step in folding. In a redesigned variant in which the first hairpin is significantly stabilized and the second hairpin destabilized, the order of events is reversed: the first hairpin is formed and the second hairpin disrupted in the folding transition state. The ability to redesign protein-folding pathways rationally shows that our understanding of the determinants of protein folding has advanced considerably."

Looks to me as if you guys are actually doing protein folding research. Am I wrong?

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http://sciencespringe.wordpress.com
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Yes, Rosetta@home is doing both research AND developing the software to do the research.

Someone else can surely give more details about exactly what those research projects have been lately...

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"...actual work..." appears to mean (to you) studying a specific disease or virus surface protein. Mankind does not yet understand how proteins are structured. The software developed to date is limited in applicability and precision of the resulting predictions. Rosetta@home is working primarily on improving the software. Many other labs and projects are running the Rosetta program against specific disease targets as they study cancer, H1N1, HIV etc.

The designer and maker of hammers does "actual work" by making better hammers available. However the carpenter building a new housing complex might say the designer does no "actual work", because no buildings are produced.

However, much like the construction industry, as one develops better hammers, they often pound some nails. Rosetta@home and BakerLab have done some specific studies on HIV drug candidates, and amyloid fibrils which are key to understanding Alzheimer's disease, and protein-protein docking to name a few.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

Thanks for the clarification.

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http://sciencespringe.wordpress.com
http://facebook.com/sciencesprings