Do you think that it is a good idea to let people other than scientists try to fold proteins in the hopes of curing diseases? Why or why not?
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Answer:
We often think of proteins as nutrients in the food we eat or the main component of muscles, but proteins are also microscopic molecules inside of cells that perform diverse and vital jobs. With the Human Genome Project complete, scientists are turning their attention to the human “proteome,” the catalog of all human proteins. This work has shown that the world of proteins is a fascinating one, full of molecules with such intricate shapes and precise functions that they seem almost fanciful.
A protein’s function depends on its shape, and when protein formation goes awry, the resulting misshapen proteins cause problems that range from bad, when proteins neglect their important work, to ugly, when they form a sticky, clumpy mess inside of cells. Current research suggests that the world of proteins is far from pristine. Protein formation is an error-prone process, and mistakes along the way have been linked to a number of human diseases.