Placeholder image of a protein
Icon representing a puzzle

Beginner Puzzle (<150): Coronavirus

Closed since almost 6 years ago

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@Netherlands 11. FoldIt@Netherlands 64 pts. 13,412
  2. Avatar for Void Crushers 12. Void Crushers 61 pts. 13,410
  3. Avatar for Brony@Home 13. Brony@Home 58 pts. 13,383
  4. Avatar for Kotocycle 14. Kotocycle 55 pts. 13,341
  5. Avatar for Herobrine's Army 15. Herobrine's Army 52 pts. 13,319
  6. Avatar for Trinity Biology 16. Trinity Biology 50 pts. 13,318
  7. Avatar for Minions of TWIS 17. Minions of TWIS 47 pts. 13,291
  8. Avatar for xkcd 18. xkcd 45 pts. 13,278
  9. Avatar for Russian team 19. Russian team 43 pts. 13,223
  10. Avatar for Freedom Folders 20. Freedom Folders 41 pts. 13,213
  1. Avatar for Nguyen Tien Dat 9221. Nguyen Tien Dat Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  2. Avatar for Lokesh Mydi 9222. Lokesh Mydi Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  3. Avatar for kai_ender 9223. kai_ender Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  4. Avatar for madisonl6 9224. madisonl6 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  5. Avatar for Camipcc 9225. Camipcc Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  6. Avatar for lenstravel 9226. lenstravel Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  7. Avatar for christinageorge 9227. christinageorge Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  8. Avatar for FEFO86 9228. FEFO86 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  9. Avatar for Alex Ba 9229. Alex Ba Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  10. Avatar for Fourth Planet 9230. Fourth Planet Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753

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.