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 Star Fleet Academy Sciences Division 41. Star Fleet Academy Sciences Division 12 pts. 13,034
  2. Avatar for ICSP HAP 2020 42. ICSP HAP 2020 11 pts. 13,033
  3. Avatar for BIOMMIQS 43. BIOMMIQS 11 pts. 13,015
  4. Avatar for Richard Dawkins Foundation 44. Richard Dawkins Foundation 10 pts. 13,013
  5. Avatar for Boise State Drug Discovery and Design Class 45. Boise State Drug Discovery and Design Class 9 pts. 13,012
  6. Avatar for Campbellford DHS Biology 46. Campbellford DHS Biology 9 pts. 13,006
  7. Avatar for BOINC@Poland 47. BOINC@Poland 8 pts. 13,001
  8. Avatar for MantaRayHGEN 48. MantaRayHGEN 8 pts. 13,001
  9. Avatar for CHE222 49. CHE222 7 pts. 13,000
  10. Avatar for FoldIt@Poland 50. FoldIt@Poland 7 pts. 12,997
  1. Avatar for sickchild 6381. sickchild Lv 1 1 pt. 11,893
  2. Avatar for JonTH 6382. JonTH Lv 1 1 pt. 11,893
  3. Avatar for Dr.Blind 6383. Dr.Blind Lv 1 1 pt. 11,892
  4. Avatar for Chichir1 6384. Chichir1 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,892
  5. Avatar for sethjust 6385. sethjust Lv 1 1 pt. 11,892
  6. Avatar for Schuby80 6386. Schuby80 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,891
  7. Avatar for jk2044 6387. jk2044 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,891
  8. Avatar for fazzi 6388. fazzi Lv 1 1 pt. 11,891
  9. Avatar for zhiggins72 6389. zhiggins72 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,891
  10. Avatar for joewere 6390. joewere Lv 1 1 pt. 11,890

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.