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Language: en
[Music]
A tiny molecule packed with a 4
billionyear-old code may hold the
answers to some of biologyy's biggest
questions. This molecule is called RNA.
And scientists are just beginning to
understand all the amazing things it can
do. Better yet, there's a way that you
can help solve the mystery of how RNA
works, just by playing a game. You may
be familiar with RNA's more famous
cousin, DNA. DNA is a doublest stranded
helix made of four building blocks
called nucleotides. These nucleotides
code for all of the genes that make fish
fish trees trees and you you RNA is also
made of nucleotide building blocks, but
it's a singlestranded molecule.
Scientists were initially fooled by
RNA's simplicity. They thought that it
was little more than a messenger between
DNA and proteins. The truth is far more
interesting. RNAs are versatile cellular
machines that can do what both DNA and
proteins do, and more. They can switch
genes on and off, defend cells against
attackers, alter other biomolelecules,
and store genetic information. Every
year, new RNAs are discovered, and the
list of their Swiss Army knifelike
skills expands.
RNAs function by folding up into shapes.
Some shapes bind to DNA, some cut up
RNAs, and still others bond pieces of
protein together. In each case, an RNA's
shape determines its function in a cell.
If we could predict exactly what shape
any RNA sequence will fold into, we
could harness RNA's power. For example,
we might design an RNA that turns off
cancer-causing genes.
Scientists have tried to use computers
to solve this problem, but they haven't
had much luck due to the sheer number of
possible combinations.
And that's where you come in. You can do
something that computers cannot. Find
the patterns that rule RNA design. To
take advantage of these distinctly human
skills, computer scientists and
biochemists teamed up to create a game
called Eterna that allows anyone, not
just experts, to find these patterns.
The challenge of the game is to design
RNAs that fold into specific shapes. The
creators are counting on gamers, Sudoku
solvers, artists, and other creative
individuals like you to bring fresh
perspectives and skills needed to crack
the RNA code. You'll start off in Nova's
RNA lab, playing as a molecular engineer
who must solve RNA puzzles to complete a
series of challenges. Once you learn the
basics there, you can join Eterna, where
you'll encounter even more challenging
puzzles.
If you prove yourself to be an expert
player by earning 10,000 points, you can
join a community of elite RNA engineers
who craft real molecules designed to
help solve RNA's many mysteries. Each
month, thousands of these designs are
synthesized and analyzed in a lab in
California. If your design is chosen,
you'll receive a score and data that
will tell you how well your RNA
performed. Solving the problem of RNA
folding can change the world. One of
your designs could help create an RNA
that destroys the HIV virus. Or a
microscopic computer made of many RNAs
that detects and defeats cancer before
it spreads. Or a self-replicating RNA
that shows how life began. Or maybe even
a breakthrough that no one has ever
dreamed of. So what are you waiting for?
This RNA is not going to fold itself.