A new supercomputer will be the new tool for investigate proteins. Named Anton, it will be prepared to work next December.
For studying proteins, it is possible to do in the lab, but everything is too small. An alternative is using
simulation through a computer. And the best of the best are molecular dynamics simulation. It's a difficult discipline, and due to the complex work, it is necessary a multidisciplinar group of scientists, (chemists and biologists, computer scientists, applied mathematicians, and computer architects and engineers). The group is managed by David E. Shaw a billonaire computer scientis
The supercomputer, named Anton in homage to Anton van Leeuwenhoek (a pioneer in microbiology) have 512 specialized processors (ASIC) working simultaneously to calculate the tree-dimensional characteristics of molecules. Anton could be used to investigate the folding of protein molecules, the design of drugs based on the simulated biological activity of different molecules. This new supercomputer is different from other molecular dynamisc computing tools, because it is designed to stimulate a very narrow group of problems on biological processes which take place over a milliesecond.