A team of scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory under the guidance of structural biologist Carissa Sanbomatsu created the world’s largest model of the human DNA genes. The model consists of more than one billion atoms and can help make a revolution in understanding the work of genes.
Modeling genes at an atomic level is the first step to understanding how DNA expands and compresses, which affects the “turning on/off” genes. For such a large-scale imitation, scientists involved the Trinity supercomputer in Los Alamos, which occupies the sixth line in the world by speed.
DNA is the basis of all living things and contains genes encoding structures and activities of the human body. DNA is indicated by the fact that if it is “unraveling”, you will get a filamentary structure, which can be encouraged by the Earth 2.5 million. once.
Long threadless DNA molecule “Upers” to the network of tiny “coils”, which rotating, “turn on” and “turn off” genes. The section of science engaged in the study of these processes is called epigenetics. In particular, she studies the process of the development of the fetus in the womb and the formation of hereditary diseases.
If DNA is compact, the genes are turned off. Why this happens, scientists are still unclear. Apparently, to clarify the reasons, a computer will be required even more power – Exascale. With its help, scientists hope to create a model of the entire human genome and understand the principle of “turning on/off” genes.
Modeling of this kind is based on experiments involving the seizure of chromatin conformation, cryelectronic microscopy and x -ray crystallography, as well as a number of complex algorithms of computer modeling.
Source — PHYS.Org