GeneGuessr
Name the gene behind the day's protein from its 3D structure and clues.
Every day: One human protein a day, shown as a 3D structure and the same for everyone: guess the gene that makes it in ten tries, with similarity scores and hints about domains, pathways and functions. New puzzle: Once a day; the site does not state the time.
GeneGuessr is a daily guessing game for biologists. It shows the protein of the day as a 3D structure, and you search for the gene you think made it; each guess gets a similarity score and highlighted matching properties, and you can spend hints to uncover clues on domains, pathways and molecular functions. You have ten guesses.
About GeneGuessr
GeneGuessr is a daily puzzle from Brinedew for people who know their molecular biology. Each day there is one protein of the day, the same for every player, displayed as an interactive 3D structure. Your task is to name the human gene that encodes it.
You search for a gene and submit it. Each guess appears as a feedback card with a percentage showing how close it is to the target and highlighted properties where it matches, such as protein domains, pathways, tissue specificity or a role in cancer. Spoiler bars hide further hints; removing one costs a hint, and you earn a hint with every guess, though hints that would give the answer away stay locked. You have ten guesses.
The data comes from public scientific sources, which the game lists: UniProt, HGNC, NCBI Gene, the Gene Ontology, InterPro and Pfam, Reactome, the Human Protein Atlas, structures from the PDB and AlphaFold, and others. It suits biology students and researchers, and anyone who likes attribute games such as Elementle with a much deeper pool.
How to play GeneGuessr
- Open GeneGuessr and look at the protein of the day in the 3D viewer.
- Search for a gene you think made it and submit it as a guess.
- Read the feedback card: the closeness percentage and the highlighted matching properties.
- Spend hints to remove spoiler bars, and find the gene within ten guesses.
Tips
- Start with a well-known gene from a broad family to get useful feedback.
- Pathway and domain matches narrow the field faster than the closeness score.
- Save hints for later guesses, when one clue can separate a few candidates.
Questions
What do I have to guess?
The human gene that encodes the protein of the day.
How many guesses do I get?
Ten, with a hint earned for each guess.
Where does the data come from?
Public sources the game lists, including UniProt, HGNC, NCBI Gene, the Gene Ontology, InterPro, Reactome, the Human Protein Atlas, the PDB and AlphaFold.
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