Team’s model targets protein networks

MIT researchers are part of a team that that has created a computational model that crawls through research data to uncover the workings of protein networks involved with the processes of the cell. Their work is featured in the Jun 29 issue of Cell magazine. The group has built upon early work to better pinpoint special enzymes [kinases] that act as important signaling paths in the cell. They do this by employing a program that performs ‘text mining’ of published articles that report on protein-kinases  interactions. They thus enhance sequences of target proteins with contextual information about their interaction with the key enzymes.

 

 

 

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/cancer-0625.html

Sun founder returns to FLOP quest

Sun founder and Google angel Andreas Bechtolsheim was in the news this week with a new super computer Due at a high-performance computing conference. The fact that he doesn’t have to work [his initial $100,000 investment in Google is now worth over $1 billion] adds interest to this event, but it does seem somewhat hyped. I’ve been reading John Markoff for many years, and I would not want to second guess his judgment. But the conclusion that he offers: That Bechtolsheim is the next Seymour Cray, is probably premature. From a quick look at the Bechtolsheim method, which appears to be based on a cross-bar switch of some kind, the approach is not really new. Then again, new is not everything.  IBM was expected to reveal its next Deep Blue machine at the same high-performance computing conference in Dresden.

 

Markoff article on Bechtosheim super – NYT

Also

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/06/suns-supercompu.html

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/IBM-s-Blue-Gene-passes-petaflop-milestone/0,130061702,339279111,00.htm

Science of the Soul, man

The coast is clear for full-blooded materialists, and spiritualists best beat a retreat. That seems to be the message as Nature this months takes sides with some hard hitting research showing the physical basis of moral thought. “With all deference to the sensibilities of religious people, the idea that man was created in the image of God can surely be put aside.” At this desk we are loathe to compare man to god. But we do feel man could do better. As far as the physical basis of moral thought goes: We’d like to see some moral thought, we’d like to see some. It seems to be a remnant. We learned this along time ago from two monkeys sitting in a coconut tree speaking of things as they appear to be.

Soul man story – NYT

 

Gates on how science becomes useful

The basic thrust of Bill Gates’ Harvard Commencement speech was covered; that there was tremendous inequity in the world in terms of access to medical care for some diseases – diseases that had been conquered for the most part in the developed world but which still acted as scourges in the underdeveloped world [is that still a term?]. But most of the second-day [and third day and fourth day] chatter was about the prodigal student’s return. The important message faded. Funny, cause that tendency is one of those he addresses in his address.

http://www.theserverside.net/blogs/thread.tss?thread_id=45849