Foldit
Foldit is a revolutionary crowdsourcing computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research. This fun and educational game was developed by university researchers to garner public involvement in solving complex problems concerning protein folding structures.
crowdsourcing
protein-folding
scientific-research
Foldit: Contribute to Scientific Research
Crowdsourcing computer game enabling public contribution to solving complex protein folding structures, developed by university researchers for educational and research purposes.
What is Foldit?
Foldit is an online multiplayer video game created by the University of Washington Center for Game Science in 2008. The purpose of the game is to optimize the structure of proteins by having players manually manipulate the structure to find the most efficient folded configuration.
In the game, players are presented with a protein structure comprised of sticks, sheets, coils and helices representing the backbone of the protein structure. Players can interactively pull, wiggle and reshape these components to find the lowest energy configuration, similar to solving a puzzle. Each solved protein structure submitted contributes to scientific research on how the proteins actually fold in nature.
Since proteins serve important cellular functions in organisms, understanding how they fold into complex shapes allows scientists to possibly design new proteins to help combat diseases. Foldit leverages human intuition and spatial reasoning abilities to solve problems that are challenging for current computer programs. As a result, top scoring Foldit players can outperform state-of-the-art computer-based protein structure prediction algorithms.
Overall, Foldit is an innovating citizen science game that is enjoyable to play while providing valuable scientific contributions towards protein folding research. The game has led to several notable scientific discoveries published in major research journals.
Foldit Features
Features
- Crowdsourcing approach to solve protein folding problems
- Gamification of scientific research
- Interactive 3D protein puzzle interface
- Solo and collaborative gameplay
- Built-in tools for manipulation of protein structure
- Automated scoring based on energy minimization
- Online sharing and ranking of solutions
Pricing
- Free
Pros
Engaging way to involve non-scientists in advancing research
Lowers barriers to public contribution to science
Potential for breakthroughs from unique perspectives
Fosters interest in biochemistry and protein science
Develops spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills
Cons
Still requires basic understanding of biochemistry
Impact limited by number of active participants
Success relies on continued volunteer commitment
Outcomes not guaranteed
Some concerns about gaming the system
Official Links
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