Placeholder image of a protein
Icon representing a puzzle

Beginner Puzzle (<150): Coronavirus

Closed since almost 6 years ago

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 UK 51. Foldit UK 6 pts. 12,995
  2. Avatar for Covid19Busters 52. Covid19Busters 6 pts. 12,988
  3. Avatar for Rotaract Club Darmstadt 53. Rotaract Club Darmstadt 5 pts. 12,987
  4. Avatar for Mojo Risin' 54. Mojo Risin' 5 pts. 12,984
  5. Avatar for Gyim_5 55. Gyim_5 5 pts. 12,975
  6. Avatar for GUGITBIOTECH 56. GUGITBIOTECH 4 pts. 12,974
  7. Avatar for Deleted group 57. Deleted group pts. 12,972
  8. Avatar for Villanova ChE 58. Villanova ChE 4 pts. 12,972
  9. Avatar for Mariner2020 59. Mariner2020 3 pts. 12,964
  10. Avatar for Carlson Lab 60. Carlson Lab 3 pts. 12,964
  1. Avatar for brokenglasshero 2121. brokenglasshero Lv 1 28 pts. 12,930
  2. Avatar for Colin333 2122. Colin333 Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  3. Avatar for AlizarinAK 2123. AlizarinAK Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  4. Avatar for koobster 2124. koobster Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  5. Avatar for Gde 2125. Gde Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  6. Avatar for ryoushi 2126. ryoushi Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  7. Avatar for OhThreeOhNo 2127. OhThreeOhNo Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  8. Avatar for PugPizza 2128. PugPizza Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  9. Avatar for msmith104 2129. msmith104 Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929
  10. Avatar for sokolowski19 2130. sokolowski19 Lv 1 28 pts. 12,929

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.