Alpha Helix Architect

The alpha helix is one of the most common structural motifs in proteins. It forms when the backbone of a polypeptide chain coils into a right-handed spiral, stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the C=O group of residue i and the N-H group of residue i+4.

In this game, you select amino acids to build a polypeptide chain, then fold it to see how stable your helix is. Some residues stabilize the helix (like alanine), while others can break it (like proline, which lacks an amide hydrogen) or destabilize it through charge repulsion.