Researchers make computer model of cell

A collaborative study between experimental scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Biology in Germany and theoretical scientists at the University of Illinois has accurately modeled a bacterial cell. What sets this apart from other cell models is the fact that it includes all contents of the cellular cytoplasm, while previous computer models focused on one part. One of the surprising results of this study is the realization of how crowded the cell actually is. Luthey-Schulten, a chemistry professor at the University of Illinois, remarked, "...My perception of the cell... had always been that it's a pretty big sack of water where a lot of chemical reactions occur." The cell that has been modeled in this study is E. Coli, and the observation of these computer models will bring light to cell processes previously unnoticed. I think that this study will be groundbreaking in the study of microscopic organisms. Not only will researchers be able to view a cell, but they will be able to predict its behavior in different enviroments. While its usefulness in disease control is untested for now, i believe scientists will be able to predict and "forcast" outbreaks. They will also be able to test possible cures on the disease at lightning-fast speed, something only a computer processor can do. www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/03/30/researchers_make_the_leap_to_wholecell_simulations.html