Foldit Puzzles

1812: Symmetric Trimer Design: H-Bond Networks

Design a symmetric protein trimer, with 3 identical chains that assemble together! The H-bond Network Objective encourages players to bury satisfied H-bond networks at the interface between symmetric chains. H-bond networks are a great way to introduce polar residues at the interface, but it's important that all of the bondable atoms make hydrogen bonds! In this puzzle, there are no limits on the Complex Core, but we've included the Complex Core objective so players can see the core residues that can be incorporated into H-bond Networks.

1811: Coronavirus Binder Design: Round 3

Design a binder against coronavirus! This is Foldit's third coronavirus puzzle, which challenges players to design an antiviral protein that could bind to the 2019 virus and disrupt viral infection. This puzzle provides a helix fragment that is already known to bind to the coronavirus, and Foldit players can design a new protein that includes this fragment. Players should focus on building up a protein with a large core of orange hydrophobics, and the best designs will also make additional contacts with the target. See our latest video update or the Foldit blog for tips about designing a successful binder! Solutions from previous puzzles are incompatible with this puzzle, so players may NOT load in previous work.

1810: Revisiting Puzzle 96: Collagen

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This small domain is a component of the collagen that forms the connective tissue beneath your skin! This protein contains six cysteines that oxidize to form three disulfide bonds. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been and to provide newer players with puzzles that are still scientifically relevant.

1809: Symmetric Trimer Design: H-Bond Networks

Design a symmetric trimer, with 3 identical chains that assemble together! This puzzle includes a Secondary Structure Objective so that no more than 50% of residues may form helices. The H-bond Network Objective encourages players to bury satisfied H-bond networks at the interface between symmetric chains. H-bond networks are a great way to introduce polar residues at the interface, but it's important that all of the bondable atoms make hydrogen bonds! In this puzzle, there are no limits on the Complex Core, but we've included the Complex Core objective so players can see the core residues that can be incorporated into H-bond Networks.

1808: Coronavirus Binder Design: Round 2

Design a binder against coronavirus! This is a followup to Puzzle 1805b, which challenged players to design an antiviral protein that could bind to the 2019 coronavirus and disrupt viral infection. This puzzle has some small improvements, and allows players to continue working on antiviral designs. See the Foldit blog for a quick look results from Puzzle 1805b, with some tips for making a successful protein binder! Players may load in solutions that were saved in the previous puzzle.

1807: Revisiting Puzzle 95: Chicken

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. Signals from the nervous system induce Ca²⁺ release within muscle cells. This muscle protein, which normally inhibits muscle contraction, changes shape in the presence of Ca²⁺ to allow muscle contraction. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been and to provide newer players with puzzles that are still scientifically relevant.

1806: Aflatoxin Challenge: Round 15 Loop Prediction

Refold the loops in this Aflatoxin Challenge design! This puzzle is similar to Puzzle 1803, but the starting structure comes from a different Foldit player design. After Round 13 of the Aflatoxin Challenge, where Foldit players redesigned the binding loops of an oxidation enzyme, the Siegel Lab found that some designs had high oxidative activity for other molecules--but no activity against aflatoxin! We think the redesigned loops might be misfolding when aflatoxin is not in the binding pocket. Misfolded loops could prevent the enzyme from binding aflatoxin and catalyzing the oxidation reaction. We wonder if Foldit players can predict how these binding loops might misfold, by refolding the loops in ways that score better than the original design! If we can figure out how the binding loops misfold, then we might be able to fix them and recover activity against aflatoxin!

1805: Coronavirus Spike Protein Binder Design

Note: This puzzle was closed early because some tools were unintentioally disabled; the puzzle has been reposted as Puzzle 1805b. Players may load solutions into the reposted Puzzle 1805b.

1805b: Coronavirus Spike Protein Binder Design

Note: This puzzle replaces Puzzle 1805, in which some tools were unintentionally disabled. Players may load in solutions from Puzzle 1805.

1804: Revisiting Puzzle 94: Mouse

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This protein recruits components of the immune system, and normally keeps white blood cells concentrated in the lymph nodes. However, it also plays a part in the inflammatory response, when immune cells are required to fight an infection. This protein contains four cysteines that oxidize to form two disulfide bonds. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been and to provide newer players with easier puzzles that are still scientifically relevant.