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 CHEM 340 Winter 2018 111. CHEM 340 Winter 2018 1 pt. 11,753
  2. Avatar for LD-CH1 112. LD-CH1 1 pt. 11,753
  3. Avatar for Reddit 1 113. Reddit 1 1 pt. 11,753
  4. Avatar for Geekdo 114. Geekdo 1 pt. 11,753
  5. Avatar for CHNO Junkies 115. CHNO Junkies 1 pt. 11,753
  1. Avatar for emmycalc 3031. emmycalc Lv 1 15 pts. 12,741
  2. Avatar for joe4500 3032. joe4500 Lv 1 15 pts. 12,741
  3. Avatar for hellowrld 3033. hellowrld Lv 1 15 pts. 12,741
  4. Avatar for P.W. 3034. P.W. Lv 1 15 pts. 12,741
  5. Avatar for agathiya101 3035. agathiya101 Lv 1 15 pts. 12,741
  6. Avatar for neeltron 3036. neeltron Lv 1 15 pts. 12,740
  7. Avatar for anamc 3037. anamc Lv 1 15 pts. 12,740
  8. Avatar for AndCovello 3038. AndCovello Lv 1 15 pts. 12,740
  9. Avatar for LELE1964 3039. LELE1964 Lv 1 15 pts. 12,739
  10. Avatar for John Zuo 3040. John Zuo Lv 1 15 pts. 12,738

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.