Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle adopt a new approach to fighting coronaviruses, using a game called Foldit to better understand it. The game is initially released in 2008 and the idea is to bend proteins to understand their structures, creating three-dimensional shapes. The team created a game puzzle based on the structure of the Covid-19 virus, with a “state-of-the-art protein” on its surface. The puzzle is now available on Foldit which is playable on PC and Mac.
According to the description of the coronavirus puzzle created by Seattle’s researchers, “coronaviruses have a” tip “protein on their surface, which tightly binds to a receiving protein found on the surface of the human cells. In recent weeks, researchers have determined the structure of the advanced coronavirus protein 2019 and the way it binds to human receptors. If we can conceive a protein that binds to this advanced coronavirus protein, it could be used to block the interaction with human cells and stop the infection! »
The COVID-19 virus puzzle being available for Foldit players, anyone with a PC can learn more about the virus by interacting with him. It will be interesting to see what other games are used similarly to help researchers fight against the virus, with Minecraft capable of creating three-dimensional objects with protein blocks and dreams with an extended creative engine that seems unending. The researchers have already used World of Warcraft to understand the speed of infection in populated areas, with a virus in play known as Corrupted Blood Reeking ravage on the first users of the MMORPG.
Will you learn more about coronavirus playing in Foldit? In your opinion, what game could researchers use to fight the bug that triggered a pandemic? Let us know in the comments below!