WhatsMissing
An AlphaFold model usually shows one protein chain — and that is often not the whole machine. The real molecule may need a cofactor (like a haem), a metal ion, or other chains it works with, and none of those are in the single-chain picture. For each model below, spot what is missing, then see the live UniProt annotation prove it. Everything runs locally; nothing about you is collected.
This is the tool. Your answer is checked against the protein’s live UniProt Cofactor / Subunit annotations. The proteins are listed below (works without JavaScript). A native version, when it ships, adds offline use; it never gates the web.
Loading the game… If it does not start, the guide below still works.
How to play. Press Start. Pick what the single-chain model leaves out (click an option or press its number). The live UniProt annotation is revealed and your answer is scored. Press Enter or Next. There is no way to lose.
A model is a starting point, not the whole machine
AlphaFold predicts the shape of a protein chain. Many proteins only work with extra parts a chain-only model does not include: an iron-carrying haem, a metal ion in the active site, or several copies assembled together. Reading a single-chain model as "the whole thing" is misconception M06 — and this game trains the habit of asking "what is left out?".
The proteins
| Protein | What the single-chain model leaves out |
|---|---|
| Hemoglobin (beta subunit) HBB · P68871 | The haem group + the other 3 chains (α₂β₂) |
| Myoglobin MB · P02144 | The haem group |
| Superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn) SOD1 · P00441 | The copper + zinc ions |
| Catalase CAT · P04040 | The haem group (and it is four chains) |
Methods & about
This is a teaching game and a simplification. The reveal fetches the protein’s live UniProt Cofactor and Subunit annotations as evidence; the structure is the real AlphaFold prediction. No score history, no accounts, nothing sent anywhere.
Want the deeper experience? See the Fold Commons apps. Everything we make is free and non-profit.