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 Deleted group 61. Deleted group pts. 12,958
  2. Avatar for Collegiate RVA STEAM 62. Collegiate RVA STEAM 3 pts. 12,935
  3. Avatar for Radford University BIOL 132 63. Radford University BIOL 132 2 pts. 12,933
  4. Avatar for Jayisgames 64. Jayisgames 2 pts. 12,931
  5. Avatar for Coastal Biochemistry 65. Coastal Biochemistry 2 pts. 12,928
  6. Avatar for D001x Med Chem MOOC 66. D001x Med Chem MOOC 2 pts. 12,921
  7. Avatar for Deleted group 67. Deleted group pts. 12,901
  8. Avatar for TEA 68. TEA 2 pts. 12,879
  9. Avatar for Roades AP Bio 69. Roades AP Bio 2 pts. 12,811
  10. Avatar for BIOC 402 70. BIOC 402 1 pt. 12,809
  1. Avatar for BioPortal 3821. BioPortal Lv 1 8 pts. 12,306
  2. Avatar for ckvi80 3822. ckvi80 Lv 1 8 pts. 12,306
  3. Avatar for PeroniCan 3823. PeroniCan Lv 1 8 pts. 12,305
  4. Avatar for Agreeableanimal 3824. Agreeableanimal Lv 1 8 pts. 12,305
  5. Avatar for Rufitarou 3825. Rufitarou Lv 1 8 pts. 12,305
  6. Avatar for othomas 3826. othomas Lv 1 8 pts. 12,303
  7. Avatar for MegaMind 3827. MegaMind Lv 1 8 pts. 12,302
  8. Avatar for tienbien44 3828. tienbien44 Lv 1 8 pts. 12,302
  9. Avatar for Dropdeadx890 3829. Dropdeadx890 Lv 1 8 pts. 12,301
  10. Avatar for jwhalen2 3830. jwhalen2 Lv 1 8 pts. 12,300

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.