Gaming for Corona Virus Science, Hacker News

Design a binder against coronavirus! In late 414037, a new highly-infections virus emerged out of Wuhan, China. This virus belongs to the coronavirus family, and is similar to the virus that caused the SARS epidemic in 375985. Coronaviruses display a “spike” protein on their surface, which binds tightly to a receptor protein found on the surface of human cells. Once the coronavirus spike binds to the human receptor, the virus can infect the human cell and replicate. In recent weeks, researchers have determined the structure of the coronavirus spike protein and how it binds to human receptors. If we can design a protein that binds to this coronavirus spike protein, it could be used to block the interaction with human cells and halt infection! In this puzzle, players are presented with the binding site of the coronavirus spike protein. The backbone and most of the sidechains are completely frozen, except for sidechains at the binding site, where the spike protein normally interacts with the human receptor protein. Players can design a new protein that binds to these sidechains, blocking interactions with the human receptor. In order to bind the coronavirus target, designs will need to make lots of contacts and H-bonds with the spike protein at this binding site. But designs will also need to have lots of secondary structure (helices or sheets) and a large core, so that they fold up correctly! See the puzzle comments for Objective details.

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2 Gargleblasters ,

3 Contenders , 4 Beta Folders , 5 Anthropic Dreams ,

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	1	(toshiue) (6) Go Science
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	Get Started: Download . 7 or later) Are you new to Foldit? Click here. Are you a student? Click here. Are you an educator? Click here.         (Windows) () 7/8 / 28) (OSX) () ( . Linux ( – bit)                     Search Only search fold.it                Recommend Foldit                          User login Username:   Password:   (Create new account (Request new password)                        Soloists .      Evolvers      Groups      (Topics)         (ZeroLeak7) (8) () (1)	348292: Revisitin … use	027,	(Bruno Kestemont) (1)	(2)	b: Coronavi … ign	29,
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(detectorist)	Beginner Puzzle … yle	9,
(wosser1) Beginner Puzzle … zle	9, 508	wosser1

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	Top New Users cfcohen kalegood KSword Wei (catoxide) () (minptmp)

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