
MIT researchers use AI to turn the coronavirus into a haunting melody - roxanneonhacker
https://thenextweb.com/neural/2020/04/06/mit-researchers-use-ai-to-turn-the-coronavirus-into-a-haunting-melody/
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gus_massa
> _Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) turned
> these structures into sounds by giving each amino acid a unique note in a
> musical scale._

Is there more info and how they use the AI? If there is a 1-to-1 translation
from the amino acid sequence to the note sequence, this project is
meaningless. The difficult part is not the sequence of amino acids, but how
they fold into a 3D structure in the protein, and extracting the 3D info from
the linear sequence is very difficult (you need a lot of computer time for
simulations). Also, the amino acids can be polar or non-polar, acid basic or
neutral, and the are a few weird ones. This information can't be encoded in
the notes.

There is a high probability that this is just a buzzwords soup.

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roxanneonhacker
Excerpt from Markus Buehler's Q&A with MIT News:

Q: What did you learn?

A: The virus has an uncanny ability to deceive and exploit the host for its
own multiplication. Its genome hijacks the host cell’s protein manufacturing
machinery, and forces it to replicate the viral genome and produce viral
proteins to make new viruses.

As you listen, you may be surprised by the pleasant, even relaxing, tone of
the music. But it tricks our ear in the same way the virus tricks our cells.
It’s an invader disguised as a friendly visitor.

Through music, we can see the SARS-CoV-2 spike from a new angle, and
appreciate the urgent need to learn the language of proteins.

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raidicy
“We could search for a new protein that matches the melody and rhythm of an
antibody capable of binding to the spike protein, interfering with its ability
to infect,” said Professor Buehler.

Interesting. Encode the info, in potentially, an easier format for comparison.

