Play a Game to Fight Coronavirus

The game Foldit was developed years ago and launched to the public in 2008. The Game Science department and the Biochemistry department at the University of Washington combined forces to develop a video game that would crowdsource the structures of proteins, which can be folded in unlimited ways. Now the game has been recruited in the fight against the coronavirus that causes the dreaded Covid-19 illness.

In the game, players are shown the binding site of the coronavirus spike protein. To come up with folding solutions, you'll have to understand some basics of both proteins and how the coronavirus invades human cells. Luckily, all of this is explained in extensive detail on the game website.

The objective is to design a protein that binds to the available sidechains at the spike protein's binding site, where it typically interacts with human cells. This protein will effectively block all interactions between the viral protein and human cells.

Sounds like a win-win situation. You can play the game and enjoy it, learn something about science, and maybe contribute to saving lives! Read more about Foldit's new mission at the game site. (Thanks, Brother Bill!)