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 Team South Africa 71. Team South Africa 1 pt. 12,780
  2. Avatar for MSU Biochemistry 72. MSU Biochemistry 1 pt. 12,728
  3. Avatar for Deleted group 73. Deleted group pts. 12,725
  4. Avatar for 20204640 74. 20204640 1 pt. 12,718
  5. Avatar for KaosKorp 75. KaosKorp 1 pt. 12,710
  6. Avatar for GENE 433 76. GENE 433 1 pt. 12,663
  7. Avatar for Czech National Team 77. Czech National Team 1 pt. 12,662
  8. Avatar for we can is can 78. we can is can 1 pt. 12,653
  9. Avatar for AP Biology 2017-2018 79. AP Biology 2017-2018 1 pt. 12,631
  10. Avatar for SciOne2017 80. SciOne2017 1 pt. 12,579
  1. Avatar for Oldiet 6201. Oldiet Lv 1 1 pt. 11,930
  2. Avatar for null00 6202. null00 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,929
  3. Avatar for rhuls 6203. rhuls Lv 1 1 pt. 11,929
  4. Avatar for nether_k 6204. nether_k Lv 1 1 pt. 11,929
  5. Avatar for upputter 6205. upputter Lv 1 1 pt. 11,928
  6. Avatar for nbinczewski 6206. nbinczewski Lv 1 1 pt. 11,928
  7. Avatar for ziyo 6207. ziyo Lv 1 1 pt. 11,927
  8. Avatar for melaL 6208. melaL Lv 1 1 pt. 11,927
  9. Avatar for DavAn2020 6209. DavAn2020 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,927
  10. Avatar for Aniram 6210. Aniram Lv 1 1 pt. 11,927

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.