Fold proteins and develop new drugs
PLAY: Proteins are biological machines that can make muscles contract. They are made up of folded chains of molecules, and the foldings are vital for their functions. However, scientists have difficulties predicting how they fold in the body, so American scientists have developed the Foldit online game, in which you must fold proteins in 3D. You score points, when you find the most harmonic folds, in which molecules’ attraction and rejection is balanced. The Foldit project has helped scientists develop new drugs.