I'd like to know if you are studing only the proteins structure or also DNA. Can be possible create projects to study interactions between genes? I think that is important like proteins

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Hi Giacco,

Good question. Interactions between genes (epistasis), as well as gene expression and the regulation of gene expression are all very important processes that rely upon the physical interaction of proteins with DNA. In fact, one post-doc and one graduate student in the bakerlab are working directly on this problem. THey are studying the specificity of DNA-protein interactions and trying to design proteins that could specifically interact with a particular gene of interest, and in the long term might even be useful for correcting genetic defects. See for example the "malaria" section in our Disease Related Research page.

No DNA jobs are currently running on boinc, but they may be in the future. For now, those jobs are run on our in-house clusters.

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There is a Malaria boinc project in closed alpha testing stage - http://africa-home4.cern.ch/malariaControl

I don't know any of the science behind the project. I don't even crunch this project. I am just mentioning it because Vanita mentioned malaria in his post.

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Hi Giacco,

Good question. Interactions between genes (epistasis), as well as gene expression and the regulation of gene expression are all very important processes that rely upon the physical interaction of proteins with DNA. In fact, one post-doc and one graduate student in the bakerlab are working directly on this problem. THey are studying the specificity of DNA-protein interactions and trying to design proteins that could specifically interact with a particular gene of interest, and in the long term might even be useful for correcting genetic defects. See for example the "malaria" section in our Disease Related Research page.

No DNA jobs are currently running on boinc, but they may be in the future. For now, those jobs are run on our in-house clusters.

Ok. I hope that in the future there will be, because cancer and getting older depending in the biggest on DNA mutations. Is it true?

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Ok. I hope that in the future there will be, because cancer and getting older depending in the biggest on DNA mutations. Is it true?

There almost certainly will be DNA jobs on boinc in the future.
As for aging and cancer, well, as usual there is no one simple answer. But the "short" answer is that cancer indeed is the result of mutations at the DNA level, often multiple mutations (what's known as the "2-hit hypothesis"). However, in order for these mutations to actually cause cancer, they must activate a gene expression program that depends on the action of several proteins. Therefore, targeting the DNA for repair (gene therapy) is one approach for cancer treatment, but another approach (and perhaps more feasible in the short term) is to target the proteins involved in uncontrolled cell growth.

As for aging, an accumulation of mutations may contribute, but currently the main hypotheses are

1) The inactivation of telomerase, a protein-RNA complex that maintains the ends of our chromosomes, causes cells to senesce (stop growing and renewing).
2) Certain genes exist which limit growth and renewal, leading to aging.

This is not a bad thing, as aging is a natural process, and if the genes involved in stopping cell renewal were to be inactivated, it almost surely would increase the incidence of cancer. Cancer is a form of immortality; cells have escaped the control of telomerase and other "aging" controls and so grow out of control.

Random trivia: one of the most common cell types used in human tissue culture experiments is the "HeLa" cell line. This cell line came from a woman, Helen Labelle, who died of cervical cancer in the 1960's. So cancer cells can (apparently) be immortal. But aging is a natural proceess and most biomedical research is aimed at eradicating the diseases of again (Alzheimers, cancer, etc) not at "curing" aging itself (though of course that is also being looked at).

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...research is aimed at eradicating the diseases of again (Alzheimers, cancer, etc) not at "curing" aging itself (though of course that is also being looked at).

I guess the thought is to extend the human lifespan in a healthy manner. I imagine most of us would like to live a few more years and have all of our marbles and remain physically active. :)

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Regards,
Bob P.

new DNA discovery http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/07/22/dna-discovery-human-soup-gets-more-complex/

There is a Malaria boinc project in closed alpha testing stage - http://africa-home4.cern.ch/malariaControl

I don't know any of the science behind the project. I don't even crunch this project. I am just mentioning it because Vanita mentioned malaria in his post.

Assuming you are talking about malariacontrol.net (the link didn't work for me), that is actually a very different sort of project. They model the spread of malaria through populations of people and mosquitoes as a way of predicting the success of various interventions. For example, if some research outfit developed a vaccine with 25% efficacy, the malariacontrol.net people would have strategies and advice on the most effect rollout. But they don't do any of the molecular work themselves.

new DNA discovery http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/07/22/dna-discovery-human-soup-gets-more-complex/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110818142842.htm

http://the-scientist.com/2012/06/01/targeting-dna/





http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v486/n7401/full/486008c.htm