I'm Folding Proteins (Lyrics)

Foldit is a game I worked on, where you fold proteins to try to find the right shape for them. This game grew out of distributed computing projects like Rosetta@home, but instead of using excess computer processing power, Foldit attempts to use human brainpower. It's a very difficult design problem, making a fun game out of protein folding and teaching people how to play in the first place. I wrote a paper about the design considerations involved. Take a look if you haven't already.

There's been some exciting new updates for Foldit lately, most importantly protein design, where I think the real potential for this project will come through. Once you can design new proteins, you can do a lot of cool things, like create a vaccine for HIV. Yeah. Foldit is a project still in its early stages, with a lot of rough edges, but it's getting there. I'll be eager to see where it goes.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to announce, officially, that I am retiring from the Foldit development team. I was originally working on this project for research credit at school. After I graduated, the team didn't have the money to pay me to keep working on it, and so now I'm starting a new job with a new company, make another exciting new game that I can't really say much about at this point. But it will be very awesome. :)

I'm not entirely done with Foldit, however. :) I've just finished my lyrics for I'm Folding Proteins, a parody of the satirical rap song I'm on a Boat. Be warned - lots of swearing in this song.

Watch the music video if you haven't seen it already, and compare it with my version of the lyrics below. Changed words in bold. Someday I'll make I'm Folding Proteins into a real music video! :D



Aww s-, get your keyboards ready it's about to go down (shorty, yeah)
Everybody in the place type your f-ing name (shorty, yeah)
And enter your motherf-ing password
We running this, let's go

I'm folding proteins (I'm folding proteins)
I'm folding proteins (I'm folding proteins)
Everybody look at me 'cause I'm folding a protein (folding a protein)
I'm folding proteins (I'm folding proteins)
I'm folding proteins
Take a good hard look at the motherf-ing screen (screen, yeah)

I'm folding proteins motherf-er take a look at me
Straight folding into the lowest energy
Busting five points, ranks dropping under me
You can't stop me motherf-er cause the game is free

Take a screen shot (shot)
I'm folding proteins ('teins)
Rebuilding loops in a knot,
Cause it's so clean (clean)
I got my beta sheets
And my helices
I'm flipping sidechains, you on Tetris
Straight flipping pieces

I'm designing a protein, curing cancer and s-
My solution's climbing, beating everyone on the net
But this ain't RuneScape, this is real as it gets
I'm folding proteins, motherf-er, don't you ever forget

I'm on a team and
We kicking a- and
I got a biochem themed
Pashmina afghan
I'm saving the world
With my skills like Neo
If you got a low score,
Then you're sure not me-oh

Get the f- up, this game is REAL!

F- clothes, I'm folding proteins, motherf-er (motherf-er)
F- streets, I walk backbones, motherf-er (motherf-er)
I'm on the chat talking smack, motherf-er (yeah)
This protein got packed, motherf-er

Hey I'm folding for the human race (human race)
Hydrogen bonds across the interface (interface)
Gonna disrupt this reverse transcriptase (transcriptase)
With our brains in a net, anything is possible

Yeah, never thought I'd fold a protein
It's a big green thing on my screen (yeah)
I'm hiding
Hydrophobics (all hands online)

Never thought I'd see the day
A Nobel Prize coming my way
Believe me when I say
I disabled AIDS

I'm folding proteins
I'm folding proteins
Everybody look at me 'cause I'm folding a protein (woah)
I'm folding proteins
I'm folding proteins
Take a good hard look at the mothaf-in' screen (shorty, shorty, yeah)

Play Foldit.