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 SmithnBR 6441. SmithnBR Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  2. Avatar for lilo_fz_Gr 6442. lilo_fz_Gr Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  3. Avatar for aummhapankar 6443. aummhapankar Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  4. Avatar for Cygntauri 6444. Cygntauri Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  5. Avatar for dopesikmike 6445. dopesikmike Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  6. Avatar for clift97 6446. clift97 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  7. Avatar for Mustang007 6447. Mustang007 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  8. Avatar for Maleus 6448. Maleus Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  9. Avatar for jiiiiu 6449. jiiiiu Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883
  10. Avatar for blairj 6450. blairj Lv 1 1 pt. 11,883

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.