Protein Origami

Energy

0

best known −1

0 moves

Native fold reached

Folded!

Levels

Six warm-ups, then five classic benchmark chains from protein-folding research.

How to play

A protein is a chain of amino acids that folds into a compact shape. This is a toy version of that: the HP model.

H: hydrophobic (water-fearing) P: polar (water-loving)

The goal

Fold the chain on the grid so that H beads touch each other. Every pair of H beads that sit side by side on the grid, but are not already linked in the chain, is one contact worth −1 energy. Reach the best known energy to finish the level. Real proteins fold the same way: the oily parts hide together in a core, away from water.

Moves

Drag any bead. It moves one cell at a time and the rest of the chain follows.
Click a bead to swing the shorter end of the chain around it. Right-click or Shift-click swings it the other way.
The chain can never cross itself, and two beads can never share a cell.

Keys

Z undo · R reset · H hint · L levels · N next level · Esc close