Citizen science online highlight: EteRNA

Each puzzle starts with a goal shape and color restrictions.

You can paint the bases different colors

The colors form bonds, or can repel each other in bigger strands.

Today's highlighted citizen science project is EteRNA, where gamers are asked to design RNA strands. This project is crazy addictive for puzzlers! It feels so much like a game, you might forget it's science.

Goals:

• Introduce people to RNA structure, its purpose and its laboratory application.
• Have citizen scientists help design RNA strands that could be used in life-saving therapies and diagnostic tools.

Gameplay:

• You start with a target strand of RNA and "paint" the bases so that the RNA will fold into the target shape. Sounds simple, but the interactions between the 4 different bases can get quite complex. The tutorial is simple but it gets real tricky the further you go.



This is what the RNA strand will naturally fold into, but...



this is the shape I want...

• After you've gone through all the training, you can help Invent Medicine (current project is a blood test for TB - earlier detection can help patients get proper treatment early enough to save lives). Or you can solve RNA designs created by other users, and even make up some of your own.

Start with the NOVA VirtauLab tutorial here.

Sometimes you want the RNA one shape with a molecule attached, and another shape when it's empty. This part gets tricky...