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 Foldit_SaintJohn(NB) 101. Foldit_SaintJohn(NB) 1 pt. 11,882
  2. Avatar for BIOB101 - Discover Biology 102. BIOB101 - Discover Biology 1 pt. 11,846
  3. Avatar for Biology D 103. Biology D 1 pt. 11,754
  4. Avatar for BIOL 308L 104. BIOL 308L 1 pt. 11,753
  5. Avatar for Eastern Prehistoric Force 105. Eastern Prehistoric Force 1 pt. 11,753
  6. Avatar for UM_BIL255_2020 1 106. UM_BIL255_2020 1 1 pt. 11,753
  7. Avatar for Mr. Smith's Students MCHS 107. Mr. Smith's Students MCHS 1 pt. 11,753
  8. Avatar for Window Group 108. Window Group 1 pt. 11,753
  9. Avatar for NMHU Biol4230 Spr 20 109. NMHU Biol4230 Spr 20 1 pt. 11,753
  10. Avatar for Deleted group 110. Deleted group pts. 11,753
  1. Avatar for draconiia 5261. draconiia Lv 1 2 pts. 12,029
  2. Avatar for playjoe 5262. playjoe Lv 1 2 pts. 12,028
  3. Avatar for davids2844 5263. davids2844 Lv 1 2 pts. 12,028
  4. Avatar for Anne_Z 5264. Anne_Z Lv 1 2 pts. 12,028
  5. Avatar for Kingquan 5265. Kingquan Lv 1 2 pts. 12,028
  6. Avatar for casus0 5266. casus0 Lv 1 2 pts. 12,028
  7. Avatar for Joel3190 5267. Joel3190 Lv 1 2 pts. 12,028
  8. Avatar for Gyim_5a_Nils 5268. Gyim_5a_Nils Lv 1 2 pts. 12,028
  9. Avatar for ravedout 5269. ravedout Lv 1 2 pts. 12,027
  10. Avatar for yog13 5270. yog13 Lv 1 2 pts. 12,027

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.