Gamers solve simian AIDS protein problem

What scientists have been breaking their heads over, gamers solved with ease. They did what the 'smart guys' couldn't. For decades, researchers have been trying to attain a model of the Mason-Pfizer monkey retroviral protease. They've tried this with the task specific Rosetta software, using all kinds of algorithms. However, when a group of scientists at the University of Washington tried playing the game 'Foldit', they were able to successfully reconstruct the folded shape of the MPMV. The gamers were able to do this in a span of three weeks. Why is this important? It might actually help in the prevention of AIDS in monkeys, the benefits of which, of course, will carry over to human beings. 

Gaming for a retroviral protease

So, the next time someone tells you to stop gaming, saying that you're killing your brain (even though scientific research has not been able to prove that gaming will actually kill your brain), your reply could just be that you're preventing AIDS in human beings and potentially even curing cancer (of course, this depends on the IQ of the questioning person). If you're a gamer and you feel like dedicating your game time to the AIDS prevention cause, watch the video below and see how you can help out.