Game found from the following New Yorker article: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-promise-of-designer-protein-in-the-fight-against-covid-19
Are you up for a challenge? If so, then this puzzle game is for you!
Foldit is a computer game created by biochemists and computer scientists that lets you do exactly what scientists do today to create vaccines and medicines. They made this game because you are smarter than a computer! By playing the game, you give scientists new ideas that their computers miss. Then, they borrow your ideas to train their computers better. Cool, right?
Foldit is kind of like the game Rush Hour but on the computer and with cooler game pieces! Instead of cars, you move protein parts. Proteins are probably the most important things inside your body and all living things. They help your cells send messages to each other, protect your body from getting sick, make your muscles strong, and so much more!
Because proteins are so important to keeping you healthy, scientists want to design their own proteins that may work better than the proteins that your body can make. Using computer programs, they figure out how to put together protein building blocks, which are called amino acids. Each protein can be twisted and turned, so you end up with a bunch of different shapes. This process is called protein folding. Even though you can make some cool shapes by folding proteins, only some of these shapes are helpful to scientists. That’s why they use computer programs to look at different protein shapes and figure out how to get the best shape possible.
With Foldit, you can do this too! For each puzzle, you will get a different protein. Your job is to move around the different parts of the protein to fold the protein into the best shape possible.
To start playing, follow these instructions and get permission from an adult. The instructions are complicated, so ask a parent, teacher, or someone else for help!
- Go to this webpage: https://fold.it/portal/info/about
- Here, you can learn more about the science behind the game
- This is also where you can download the game
- Install the game onto your computer by following the instructions on your screen
- Open Foldit and make an account (or skip this and choose “play offline”)
- Try starting in Campaign mode, and the game will walk you through the control
- Have fun!