fremdFOLDing Welcomes You
Our Purpose
We are going through an unprecedented period of both uncertainty and isolation during quarantine. Countless communities have been impacted by COVID-19, and the individual struggles of social distancing are truly pressing. Despite the fact that we are all confined to our homes, our community can still come together to support the fight against COVID-19.
The benefit of being digitally connected is that our devices allow us to collaborate with each other no matter what physical barriers we encounter. In the case of COVID-19, digital connection allows our community to support research for COVID-19 from our homes.
Through a program called Folding@Home, created by programmers from Washington University in St. Louis, individuals can use their devices to simulate how the COVID-19 virus works. With more participants, more information is collected, making the chances of developing a cure higher. Donations are also part of our cause, as all monetary funds we receive are sent to the University of Chicago's fight against COVID-19. We are counting on your support to make this happen.
Activities
FremdFOLDing is looking for individuals who can devote processing power to help with the research effort against the Coronavirus. Furthermore, we are accepting and encouraging donations, which will be sent directly to UChicago Medicine via our GoFundMe.
Folding at Home
According to Washington University, the university that developed Folding@Home, the program uses simulations of microscopic proteins to better understand the virus. Proteins are complex particles that play many critical functions in the human body. On a smaller level, they are made up of many moving parts called amino acids that fold down to create the larger protein particle.
Amino acids can fold in many ways to create different proteins, so understanding how the amino acids fold is crucial to understanding how the protein works. Viruses, such as COVID-19, also use proteins to reproduce and attack our immune system. By running multiple simulations of the COVID-19 protein folding process, Folding@Home allows individual simulations to provide a different piece of the folding process. With more simulations, it is easier to understand the protein as a whole, making the development of a cure/vaccine much easier.
Folding can be accomplished idly, and from the safety and comfort of your homes. If you want to join the fight against COVID-19, as well as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Chagas' Disease, and Huntington's Disease, start folding today!
Donation Services
If your ability to participate in the FOLD event is limited under any circumstance, or if youwould like to financially contribute, an option to donate to COVID-19 treatment is available. Visit the GoFundMe page for FOLD to donate to the University of Chicago's fight against COVID-19.
The University of Chicago is at the forefront of the clinical battle against the Coronavirus as well as the research effort to develop a vaccine. Any and all donations will be sent directly to these efforts to help effectively stop the spread of the Coronavirus.
Instructions to Fold at Home
Click “Start Folding”
Click on the download link “fah-installer_7.6.13_x86.exe”
Wait for the application to download
Click open
Install the application
Click "Set up an identity" and then "Start Folding"
Enter your name and enter your team number as 265791
Click Save
Adjust your preferences if you wish
Watch our YouTube video @Folding Online for Limiting Disease for further instructions
Now you are ready to fold!
Contact fremdFOLDing
Email: fremdfolding@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcv_DH_SY3Oc4Ep5Fyy53Rg
Akshay Dalvi- @akshay_D8
Donny Carl- @itsnotdonny
Eric Song- @eric_song3840
Prashanth Ramachandra- @prashanth_ramachandra
Siv Konasani- @sivaramkonasani6