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Supercomputer builds a virus

Vast simulation captures molecules in motion.

One of the world's most powerful supercomputers has conjured a fleeting moment in the life of a virus. The researchers say the simulation is the first to capture a whole biological organism in such intricate molecular detail.

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Posted by Helen Pearson on March 14, 2006 07:13 PM |

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Comments

You say that the simulation was conducted for 50 billionths of a second. I was curious to know, is this a long time for a virus? How much does it accomplish in that much time? And how is this significant? I am no expert, but somehow the time seems too small to me.

Posted by: Gurpreet | March 15, 2006 03:26 AM

I wonder why the authors decided to use the old TIP3P model of water for their simulation?

Posted by: Spud Gun | March 15, 2006 09:35 AM

Hi Nice article. Verryy interesting. All we need now is a way to magnify the molecule a few million times and then we may see what and how we are made. Even then it will just prove how fantisimal our creator really is.

Posted by: Ralph S | March 15, 2006 06:39 PM

What was the time scale factor for this simulation? What I mean is, how much slower than real-time did this simulation run, i.e., how long did it take the computer to calculate the state changes of the virus over this 1/50th billion of a second period?

Also, would it be possible now to make an estimate, based on the experiences from this experiment, of how much more complex and difficult than this virus they think a simulation of a cell of a very much more advanced organism - say, a human being - would be. Of course, depending on the type of cell.

Posted by: Thomas Riemann | March 15, 2006 07:47 PM

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