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A team of researchers encoded their specialized knowledge into the computer game Foldit to enable citizen scientists to successfully design synthetic proteins for the first time. The Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington School of Medicine led the multi-institutional effort. “There are more possible proteins than there are atoms in the universe. It's exciting to think that now anyone can help explore this vast space of possibilities,“ said senior co-author David Baker, professor of biochemistry at the UW School of Medicine and director of the Institute for Protein Design. “The diversity of molecules that these gamers came up with is astonishing,“ said lead author Brian Koepnick, postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Protein Design. “These new proteins are by no means inferior to the stuff a PhD-level scientist might make.“ Foldit () was created in 2008 as a way to 'gamify' protein research. Proteins are essential biomolecules found inside every cell of every organism. Their intricate three-dimensional structures give rise to their diverse functions, which include digestion, wound healing, autoimmunity and much more. News release:
