Press Release: June 5th, 2021
STEM Biomedical
STEM Biomedical project for molecular simulations of biological systems presented in University of Waterloo Sci Talk
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, Ontario, Canada ― The University of Waterloo Faculty of Science hosted a Sci Talk event where a number of invited speakers presented their activity as alumni in a brief video format, referred to as a Sci Talk. Among the speakers was STEM Biomedical director Alexander Ille, presenting on the topic of molecular simulations for biological systems. The Sci Talk briefly describes the biological context spanning from the level of DNA to the level of the human body as a whole, and the importance of molecular interactions within this context. This is an area of research STEM Biomedical is currently focused on.
The 2021 University of Waterloo Sci Talk event featured three speakers, including STEM Biomedical director Alexander Ille presenting on the topic of molecular simulations for biological systems. The Sci Talks of each speaker can be found on the University of Waterloo Science Youtube channel:
The human genome is made up of over 20,000 genes, each encoding their own unique protein molecules. Between these unique biological molecules are complex networks of intermolecular interactions, which serve as both structural and functional components of cells and cellular processes. Cells come together to make up tissues and organs, which in turn make up our bodies. In order to sustain life, molecular interactions must occur in a highly organized manner and within specific boundaries of homeostasis. Disruptions to this finely-tuned complex network of molecular interactions can cause problems to occur at the cellular/tissue/organ levels, ultimately resulting in the manifestation of disease.
Computational simulations are one way to better understand and characterize these molecular interactions. Something STEM Biomedical hopes to accomplish is to accurately simulate large-scale molecular interactions of biological systems at an atomic resolution. This would provide tremendous acceleration in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. However, the development of such a platform is no easy task, and would require substantial time and effort. One reason for this is because biological systems involve highly intricate networks of numerous and diverse molecular interactions, with layers upon layers of complexity, making them far more complicated compared to simpler interactions between a small number of molecules.
Another limitation is the vast amount of computing power required for such simulations. Currently, microsecond simulations of relatively small multimolecular systems can take multiple days for hardware to compute. At this speed, it would likely take years to perform a sub-second simulation of all of the simultaneous interactions in a single cell – which simply isn’t feasible. Fortunately, computing technology continues to advance and consequently eases this limitation. Decades ago, early computing systems took up entire rooms and today we can hold a smart-phone in the palm of our hands.
Despite the obstacles, we are optimistic as we progress into the early stages of this endeavor. A platform which can accurately simulate large-scale biomolecular interactions at the level of individual atoms would greatly accelerate therapeutic development for difficult-to-treat and incurable diseases. The potential benefit to human health is enormous and merits the effort.
STEM Biomedical is a federally-registered Canadian non-profit dedicated to the advancement of biomedical research through the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
For more information on this topic, please contact us by email through our contact form.
Press Release: June 5th, 2021
STEM Biomedical project for molecular simulations of biological systems presented in University of Waterloo Sci Talk
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada ― The University of Waterloo Faculty of Science hosted a Sci Talk event where a number of invited speakers presented their activity as alumni in a brief video format, referred to as a Sci Talk. Among the speakers was STEM Biomedical director Alexander Ille, presenting on the topic of molecular simulations for biological systems. The Sci Talk briefly describes the biological context spanning from the level of DNA to the level of the human body as a whole, and the importance of molecular interactions within this context. This is an area of research STEM Biomedical is currently focused on.
The 2021 University of Waterloo Sci Talk event featured three speakers, including STEM Biomedical director Alexander Ille presenting on the topic of molecular simulations for biological systems. The Sci Talks of each speaker can be found on the University of Waterloo Science Youtube channel:
The human genome is made up of over 20,000 genes, each encoding their own unique protein molecules. Between these unique biological molecules are complex networks of intermolecular interactions, which serve as both structural and functional components of cells and cellular processes. Cells come together to make up tissues and organs, which in turn make up our bodies. In order to sustain life, molecular interactions must occur in a highly organized manner and within specific boundaries of homeostasis. Disruptions to this finely-tuned complex network of molecular interactions can cause problems to occur at the cellular/tissue/organ levels, ultimately resulting in the manifestation of disease.
Computational simulations are one way to better understand and characterize these molecular interactions. Something STEM Biomedical hopes to accomplish is to accurately simulate large-scale molecular interactions of biological systems at an atomic resolution. This would provide tremendous acceleration in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. However, the development of such a platform is no easy task, and would require substantial time and effort. One reason for this is because biological systems involve highly intricate networks of numerous and diverse molecular interactions, with layers upon layers of complexity, making them far more complicated compared to simpler interactions between a small number of molecules.
Another limitation is the vast amount of computing power required for such simulations. Currently, microsecond simulations of relatively small multimolecular systems can take multiple days for hardware to compute. At this speed, it would likely take years to perform a sub-second simulation of all of the simultaneous interactions in a single cell – which simply isn’t feasible. Fortunately, computing technology continues to advance and consequently eases this limitation. Decades ago, early computing systems took up entire rooms and today we can hold a smart-phone in the palm of our hands.
Despite the obstacles, we are optimistic as we progress into the early stages of this endeavor. A platform which can accurately simulate large-scale biomolecular interactions at the level of individual atoms would greatly accelerate therapeutic development for difficult-to-treat and incurable diseases. The potential benefit to human health is enormous and merits the effort.
STEM Biomedical is a federally-registered Canadian non-profit dedicated to the advancement of biomedical research through the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
For more information on this topic, please contact us by email through our contact form.