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 SETI.Germany 21. SETI.Germany 39 pts. 13,195
  2. Avatar for SOU Biochemistry CH455 (2020) 22. SOU Biochemistry CH455 (2020) 37 pts. 13,194
  3. Avatar for The Daydreamers 23. The Daydreamers 35 pts. 13,193
  4. Avatar for Wabash College Biochemistry 24. Wabash College Biochemistry 33 pts. 13,184
  5. Avatar for Segment is locked 25. Segment is locked 31 pts. 13,178
  6. Avatar for Hold My Beer 26. Hold My Beer 30 pts. 13,158
  7. Avatar for Penny-Arcade 27. Penny-Arcade 28 pts. 13,152
  8. Avatar for ICSP Bio 2020 2 28. ICSP Bio 2020 2 26 pts. 13,142
  9. Avatar for Chem420-EC 29. Chem420-EC 25 pts. 13,131
  10. Avatar for BIOL 4030 Winter 2020 30. BIOL 4030 Winter 2020 24 pts. 13,129
  1. Avatar for tarath 3541. tarath Lv 1 10 pts. 12,467
  2. Avatar for yaze 3542. yaze Lv 1 10 pts. 12,465
  3. Avatar for phantomy1 3543. phantomy1 Lv 1 10 pts. 12,463
  4. Avatar for 4Robato 3544. 4Robato Lv 1 10 pts. 12,463
  5. Avatar for Deleted player 3545. Deleted player pts. 12,463
  6. Avatar for qxxp 3546. qxxp Lv 1 10 pts. 12,463
  7. Avatar for ceglowa 3547. ceglowa Lv 1 10 pts. 12,463
  8. Avatar for BruhMoment2 3548. BruhMoment2 Lv 1 10 pts. 12,462
  9. Avatar for madk3p 3549. madk3p Lv 1 10 pts. 12,462
  10. Avatar for Sting1 3550. Sting1 Lv 1 10 pts. 12,462

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.