Blog: In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding

In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
New York Times (08/09/10) Markoff, John

Foldit is a free online game from University of Washington researchers in which thousands of volunteer gamers bested a computer program in determining how proteins fold into their three-dimensional shapes. The researchers say the success of the Foldit gamers reflects how nonscientists can collaborate to devise new algorithms and strategies that are distinct from conventional software solutions to the challenge of protein folding. Foldit starts with a series of tutorials in which the player controls protein-like structures on a computer display. As structures are tweaked in the game, a score is estimated based on how well the protein is folded. Gamers are provided with a set of controls that enable them to manipulate the backbone and the amino acid side shapes of a specific protein into a more efficient configuration. The researchers note that the Foldit players outperformed the software tools in areas that include pattern recognition.

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