That may be pushing it, but IBM is setting its sights on using a supercomputer to unravel exactly how proteins form in the body, and that, in turn, could lead to countless medical breakthroughs. But first they have to build the computer.
Proteins are the second-most abundant substances in the body, next to water.
They are the fundamental building blocks of the body, essential for the growth and repair of internal organs, blood, muscles, skin, and the formation of antibodies, enzymes, and hormones. But they are also essential components of bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that can harm the body. Even a slight change in that process can turn the protein into a disease. Another endeavor, the Human Genome Project, is mapping the sequence of genes in the human body. Genes determine how amino acids fold into proteins.