Placeholder image of a protein
Icon representing a puzzle

Beginner Puzzle (<150): Coronavirus

Closed since about 6 years ago

Beginner Beginner Beginner Beginner Beginner Beginner

Summary

Created
March 03, 2020
Expires
Max points
100
Description

Design a protein binder against coronavirus! The starting structure shows how the coronavirus spike protein binds to a human receptor protein. The coronavirus protein (in gray) is mostly frozen, except for the orange and blue sidechains at the binding site. The binding site of coronavirus sticks to the human protein (in color), and this allows the coronavirus to infect human cells. We want to design a new protein that can bind to coronavirus more tightly than the human protein! A tight binder could block the normal coronavirus-human interaction, and might be used as an antiviral drug against coronavirus! Refold and mutate the starting structure to increase your score and improve binding against coronavirus!



START HERE:

If you are new to Foldit, here are detailed instructions to get you started:

http://fold.it/portal/node/988864

_____________________________


If you want to fold proteins, know that there are many ways to play and this variety is the main value of Foldit :

- try all puzzles not only "Beginners" ones,

- fold first the ones you like the most,

- try it by yourself to understand what works and what doesn't,

- ask for tips in global chat when you think you don't understand something.

Top groups

  1. Avatar for NMFoldit 91. NMFoldit 1 pt. 12,137
  2. Avatar for Deleted group 92. Deleted group pts. 12,110
  3. Avatar for Aperture Science 93. Aperture Science 1 pt. 12,094
  4. Avatar for StCaths STEM 94. StCaths STEM 1 pt. 12,079
  5. Avatar for BCS 95. BCS 1 pt. 12,035
  6. Avatar for Titans of Biology 96. Titans of Biology 1 pt. 12,021
  7. Avatar for UM_BIL255_2020 2 97. UM_BIL255_2020 2 1 pt. 12,017
  8. Avatar for Mr. Rice's Folding Group 98. Mr. Rice's Folding Group 1 pt. 11,971
  9. Avatar for OSSM FoldIt Team 99. OSSM FoldIt Team 1 pt. 11,944
  10. Avatar for Westminster College Biochemical Methods 100. Westminster College Biochemical Methods 1 pt. 11,904
  1. Avatar for PuwitChao 5231. PuwitChao Lv 1 2 pts. 12,035
  2. Avatar for Muratcan 5232. Muratcan Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  3. Avatar for rargorus 5233. rargorus Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  4. Avatar for pixelpunk 5234. pixelpunk Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  5. Avatar for victor1404 5235. victor1404 Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  6. Avatar for maate 5236. maate Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  7. Avatar for mcroom 5237. mcroom Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  8. Avatar for papercrane1 5238. papercrane1 Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  9. Avatar for SteveP1982 5239. SteveP1982 Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034
  10. Avatar for maxcozzone 5240. maxcozzone Lv 1 2 pts. 12,034

Comments

bkoep Staff Lv 1

The solutions from this Beginner puzzle are incompatible with other non-Beginner puzzles,. Players may not load solutions from this puzzle into other coronavirus puzzles.