Protein analysis project - the 4bytes

Our goal is to analyze different proteins and their structures to find what are their weaknesses and how to denature them. We also include a brief overview of their traits and create a 3D model.

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Inspiration

We have been inspired by the Nobel-prize winning software "Alphafold" which managed to predict over 90% of all proteins' structure. We wanted to push a bit further and analyze the weaknesses of these proteins to potentially break them down and have them removed from dangerous bacteria and viruses, thus killing them.

What it does

Our project renders different proteins from a database carrying over 1 million models and displays various properties regarding the chosen protein to render. Additionally, it does an analysis on potential weaknesses depending on the strengths of the protein.

How we built it

Using python, html and css, we built a website using many libraries such as "Flask" and analyzed our data by using "pandas", "Bio", "py3Dmol", "requests", and "os" libraries. By using this combination of languages and libraries, we were able to produce a nice interface to display our functions and make them usable with ease.

Challenges we ran into

Our greatest challenge was needing to understand libraries that we never used before. For instance, it was the first time that we heard about the existence of Flask or Bio for analyzing data and displaying it under web format. To overcome them, we asked our fellow senior students for help and occasionally asked AI for debugging tips and properties for niche library functions.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of being able to render both proteins and DNA at once on a web page and connecting some parts of biology with technology via our research.

What we learned

We learnt to use many libraries such as "Bio", "Flask", and "Pandas" with more accuracy and greater depth. We also learnt the differences between back-end and front-end development.

What's next for Protein analysis project - the 4bytes

We hope that in the future, technology advances enough for us to use our idea and actually be able to denature specific proteins by using their characteristics to our advantage in a controlled manner. As for us as students, we hope to further understand how to develop working products by using our gained skills in programming.

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