Aug. 18--Science by the masses motivates Adrien Treuille.

The Carnegie Mellon University professor of computer science and robotics appealed to the sensibilities of online game players when he created a game called "foldit." It allows about 90,000 players to manipulate the shapes of digital "proteins" to determine their most effective forms.

"These people are nonexperts," said Treuille, 30, of Lawrenceville. "But the game has empowered them to become scientists. They're doing biochemistry, which could lead to cures for diseases."

Treuille's ability to give everyday people the tools to solve scientific problems is a primary reason why Technology Review magazine today named him one of the world's top 35 innovators under the age of 35, said Kathleen Kennedy, chief strategy officer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology publication.

"What sets him apart is his creativity," Kennedy said. "He's looking at how games could actually help scientific research."

A panel of experts and the magazine's editorial staff chose Treuille from a list of 300 nominees. Treuille and his peers will be recognized at the EmTech@MIT 2009 Conference, Sept. 22-24 in Cambridge, Mass., and featured in the September/October issue of Technology Review.

"I see it as opening a path for ordinary people to participate in science," Treuille said.

Treuille is the man who provided ESPN the technology to enable NASCAR fans to see the air behind race cars, a special effect that was nominated for an Emmy.

He is working on a game that would invite online players to simulate the evolution of ribonucleic acid and explore the beginnings of life. RNA transmits genetic information from DNA and controls some cellular chemical processes.

"Adrien's techniques are mathematically elegant and achieve astounding performance and realism in simulations of highly complex physical systems," said Peter Lee, head of CMU's computer science department.

Another area of Treuille's research focuses on making it possible for individual, nonsupercomputers to do complex, real-time simulations. For example, Treuille hopes normal computers can produce simulations for firefighters.

"On one computer in one second, we'll be able to have the same effects that used to take 10,000 computers to do," he said.

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