We are in a few days in which the attention of millions of people is on the coronavirus and those scientists who are looking for a vaccine for it. You can help these scientists by playing this puzzle called fold.it.
And we are going to make an exception this time, and it must that is not a game for Android. Yes, it can be installed on Windows, Linux and MacOS, and if we present it it is to do our bit so that it reaches more people around the planet. If you can share this game, we would appreciate it. Go for it.
Find a cure for coronavirus with fold.it
And while we spend hours playing our favorite games, like yesterday's new KING, the truth is that none usually have a real effect on our lives. That is, everything is within the same game. It is this time when your games can have an effect and we are going to explain to you how you are going to help the scientists with fold.it.
The goal is to design proteins that can be used as antiviral agents against coronavirus or COVID-19. Let's say that the exact shape is very important for proteins, but difficult to do because a protein chain has different possibilities. So that you understand it better, imagine an origami.
You are given a piece of paper with a pattern on it and you are commanded to make a dragon without any instruction. The pattern can give you some clue, but let's say it doesn't help much. What you do have are some basic rules to follow, but they can be applied in many ways. You could fit them together to finally create the dragon, or stay halfway and not be able to create that needed figure.
It is for this very reason that computers are not used, since they are not able to understand the forms well. And this is where our brains are able to match images and shapes in an easier way.
that is, that the more people play In this game, somebody can find the exact protein to perfectly match the one needed to create a cure against the coronavirus.
How to download and play fold.it
We have to tell you that currently the server down to the great influx of people who are entering to play it.
The link is this: fold it
La download for Windows: fold.it
Download for Mac: fold.it
Alternative download for Windows: filebin
To better understand the gameplay of the game we must know that this coronavirus it is characterized by that protein shaped like a "spike" on the surface; hence its name from crown. This "spike" protein is the one that binds strongly to the receptor protein found on the surface of human cells. Once it binds to the human receptor, the virus can infect cells and replicate.
What we have to do is design a protein that binds to the protein "spike" of the coronavirus and thus block the interaction with human cells and stop the infection as well.
In this puzzle, we see how the spine is 'frozen' and most of the side chains, except for those at the junction site, where the spike protein interacts with the human receptor protein.
Our tare is design a new protein that binds to the side chains in order to block interactions with the human receptor. To do this, we have to take one of the chains and make a skewer emerge that we will try to unite with the coronavirus proteins.
Un complex game, but we invite you to try. Especially to take one of the pieces of the chain in order to unlock it. You will have to go through levels. Oh, and create an account to upload your achievements online.