Molecular Biosciences

Chains of amino acids called peptides move, jump, twist, and change shape, all of which add to the myriad difficulties involved in peptide research. Yet understanding them is instrumental in putting them to good use—for example, in the treatment of diabetes. To better understand one such peptide’s properties and strengthen its effectiveness in combating this disease, a team led by Adrian Roitberg of the University of Florida has used approximately 500,000 hours on Kraken at NICS.

Kraken’s ability to simulate phenomena beyond the bounds of observation promises to significantly improve our understanding in multiple scientific arenas. For example, despite our knowledge of the human body, some of the most elementary biological processes remain a mystery, at least for now.