Unlock molecular secrets with mobile game BioBlox2D

BioBlox2D is a new free mobile computer game inspired by tackling one of the hardest problems in biological science - how molecules fit together. BioBlox2D is the result of a collaboration between researchers at Imperial College London and Goldsmiths, University of London. It turns the science of how proteins fit together (or 'dock') with smaller molecules, such as medicines and vitamins, into a Tetris-style puzzle game and quiz. Players manipulate and dock molecules into proteins to score points and earn bonus powers in a race against time. How molecules dock onto proteins is the key to understanding processes in the cell, and in particular to designing new drugs to treat conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer's. The complex 3D forms of such molecules - resembling the bumpy surface of an asteroid full of pits and craters - make understanding how they fit together extremely challenging. BioBlox2D presents this complex problem in 2D form.