Icon representing a puzzle

Beginner Puzzle: Coronavirus

Closed since 9 months ago

Beginner Beginner Beginner Beginner Beginner Beginner Beginner

Summary


Created
July 03, 2025
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! This is a Beginner puzzle for new players that have joined Foldit in the last 6 months.

Top groups


  1. Avatar for Street Smarts 100 pts. 13,430
  2. Avatar for Go Science 2. Go Science 41 pts. 13,400
  3. Avatar for L'Alliance Francophone 3. L'Alliance Francophone 14 pts. 13,205
  4. Avatar for Bioqué? 4. Bioqué? 4 pts. 13,052
  5. Avatar for CHEM1210/1020 TTU 7. CHEM1210/1020 TTU 1 pt. 11,753

  1. Avatar for Dr.Noodles 251. Dr.Noodles Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  2. Avatar for niks 252. niks Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  3. Avatar for leiarenee99 253. leiarenee99 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  4. Avatar for smshaun33 254. smshaun33 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  5. Avatar for danielt995 255. danielt995 Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  6. Avatar for apmuuu 256. apmuuu Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  7. Avatar for kojiro 257. kojiro Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  8. Avatar for hina.o 258. hina.o Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  9. Avatar for siabaku 259. siabaku Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753
  10. Avatar for mayukkkkkkkkkk 260. mayukkkkkkkkkk Lv 1 1 pt. 11,753

Comments