Foldit is a unique computer game that actually enables you to contribute to scientific research into the way proteins are formed. This in turn can help in research to find cures for serious illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and AIDS. How on earth does this work? In Foldit, players around the world compete to design proteins. In the next step, real scientists actually test the proteins designed by the game’s players to see if they make viable candidate compounds for new drugs.

Obviously then, the game is earned at scientists and science students although it can serve as a good introduction to cell creation for beginners and in fact, encourages beginners to take part. Foldit works by taking players through a series of practice levels designed to teach the basics of protein folding, before letting them create real proteins from nature. The game only uses proteins whose three-dimensional structures have been solved by researchers but the developers soon plan to introduce structures that are unsolved.

Foldit is not exactly your average puzzle game but for anyone interested in molecular science, and wanting to do a little good for the medical community at the same time, it’s the perfect game.