3 ms·
What are the real-world applications of protein folding (preferably, some specific example)? I always hear that it's really important for drug design and biotec
by RivieraKid 9y ago
What are the real-world applications of protein folding (preferably, some specific example)? I always hear that it's really important for drug design and biotechnology but have a hard time imagining something concrete.
- superfx 9y agoRe drug discovery, often times in “rational” drug design, medicinal chemists try to make small molecules that bind snuggly into a binding pocket on the protein. Having the structure of the protein aids greatly in that process.
- xiao_haozi 9y agoYes! And I'd also add that there are others that come into play... * Elucidating function by identifying similarity to other known structures * Finding novel signaling mechanisms (see work on PHinder) * Modeling co-receptor/ligand dynamics * Identifying function of orphan receptors * Working with ancestral genes by identifying descendant structure * Classifying and clustering proteins based on solved structure * Learning new biochemical mechanisms through active vs inactive state structures ...