David Baker - Protein Folding Code: Won a Nobel Prize

Kelly Chibale - Beyond the Code: AI 2050

Dr. Neil Voss - CryoEM & Protein Geometry

Silvia Holler - Future of folding: Cotraslational folding simulation

Alexei Lapkin - iDMT: Innovation Centre in Digital Molecular Technologies

Scientific Publications - Playing Dice with the Universe: Programming Quantum Computers to Play Traditional Games

Realtime Statistics - CAMEO: automated benchmarking of structure prediction servers, complementing CASP

An open‑science partner of the Ersilia Open Source Initiative and Visualizing biological data

qFoldIT is a distributed, immersive platform that turns molecular design into a collaborative game. By combining quantum computing, AI‑driven screening, and citizen science, we empower researchers and players worldwide to discover new drug candidates against infectious diseases—starting with malaria, tuberculosis, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). But our mission goes beyond pharma: the same quantum‑biological engine drives green mining (gold, lithium, bauxite) and space bio‑mining (asteroids, Moon, Mars), making resource extraction sustainable, sovereign, and accessible for the Global South.

We are proud to align with the Ersilia Open Source Initiative: we share the commitment to open, accessible AI tools for the Global South. qFoldIT extends Ersilia’s model hub with an interactive, gamified layer that scales scientific contribution to thousands of participants while maintaining rigorous open‑science principles.

qFoldIT brings together a world‑class, multidisciplinary team spanning drug discovery, quantum computing, game design, structural biology, and cultural visualisation.

• Accelerate drug discovery – Players generate molecular structures; our AI/quantum backend evaluates them in real time.
• Democratise science – Free, unlimited access to the core scientific modules (folding, design) removes barriers for researchers and students.
• Reward contribution – Smart contracts ensure creators receive royalties (up to 30%) when their molecules are licensed by industry partners.
• Bridge cultures – Rooted in the Ashanti heritage (Sankofa, Gye Nyame) and designed with a flexible CBDC‑based economy, qFoldIT embodies a new model of scientific diplomacy.
• Industrial sovereignty – Our mining-bioox, mining-biosorption, and mining-cyanide modules enable green extraction of gold (95‑98% recovery), lithium (from brine and spodumene), and bauxite (bio‑desilication) without toxic chemicals or high‑temperature roasting.
• Space bio‑mining – We design extremophile microbes for asteroid mining, lunar regolith processing, and Martian soil detoxification, turning ISRU (In‑Situ Resource Utilisation) into a reality.

We are proud to collaborate with leading institutions and companies that share our vision of open, sustainable, and inclusive science.

qFoldIT follows a microservices architecture with containerisation (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes). Each service is designed to be stateless, horizontally scalable, and optimised for hybrid cloud infrastructure leveraging Singapore’s advanced computing resources.

qFoldIT inherits the proven citizen‑science mechanics of FoldIT but adds three transformative layers:

1. Quantum acceleration – players interact with models that use real quantum processors for energy calculations.
2. Direct commercialisation – validated molecules are registered on a private blockchain (Proof of Authority) with authorship linked to the player’s Steam ID. Smart contracts distribute royalties automatically.
3. Psychological engagement – the patented “Stop in Time” mechanic (RU2051730C1) lets players decide when to stop an experiment, balancing risk and reward—activating dopamine circuits and teaching decision‑making under uncertainty.

• Photons – premium currency pegged to a generic Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) framework. This provides a stable, transparent value store and can later be adapted to specific national digital currencies (e.g., eCedi, digital dollar, etc.). Photons are earned through gameplay or purchased; they are used for cosmetics, battle passes, and optional risk‑management items.
• Energy – limits non‑scientific activities (races, exploration). Scientific modules (folding, design) consume no energy, preserving the spirit of citizen science.

All transactions are recorded on a private blockchain, ensuring transparency and auditability.

While the core game engine and certain proprietary components remain closed, all scientific pipelines are designed with openness in mind:

• Models: We use and contribute to open‑source libraries (Rosetta, OpenMM, Qiskit, Ersilia Model Hub). Any new models developed specifically for qFoldIT may be released under open licenses.
• Data: Anonymised molecular structures generated by players are made available for research (CC BY‑NC 4.0), with authorship preserved via blockchain.
• Workflows: Our autoresearch service is based on the open‑source ZairaChem pipeline, and we document all configurations for reproducibility.

We believe that AI for global health must be transparent. By partnering with Ersilia, we ensure that our tools remain accessible to researchers in low‑resource settings.

qFoldIT’s quantum‑biological engine is not limited to drug discovery. We apply the same principles to sustainable resource extraction and space bio‑mining.

This long‑term vision (100‑300 years) positions qFoldIT as the operating system for humanity’s resource future – from African mines to the asteroid belt.

We welcome collaboration in the spirit of Ersilia’s community. You can contribute in several ways:

• Code: Help improve our open‑source components (model wrappers, quantum adapter, documentation). See our GitHub.
• Science: Validate molecular structures, propose new disease targets, or use qFoldIT in your research.
• Training: Partner with us to run workshops that combine Ersilia’s AI models with qFoldIT’s gamified interface.
• Funding: Support our mission through grants, corporate sponsorship, or licensing partnerships.

For inquiries: qFoldIT@gmail.com or reach out via our website.

• Proprietary components: Game client, certain visual assets, and the “Stop in Time” mechanic are protected by commercial licenses.
• Open‑source components: All scientific libraries and adapters are licensed under GPL‑3.0 or MIT, in line with Ersilia’s policy.
• Trademarks: Sankofa and Gye Nyame are registered trademarks of qFoldIT Pte. Ltd. in Singapore (IPOS).
• Data: User‑generated structures are shared under CC BY‑NC 4.0 with authorship attribution preserved.

• Prof. Kelly Chibale and Dr. Godwin Dziwornu for scientific leadership and the foundational work at H3D.
• Ersilia Open Source Initiative for the model hub and shared vision of open science.
• Center for Game Science (CGS), University of Washington – for pioneering citizen‑science gaming and providing a direct lineage to Foldit.
• Game Science Research Center (GSRC), Italy – for advancing game‑based learning and providing academic networks across Europe.
• Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) and the National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore for providing quantum and HPC resources.
• National Quantum Strategy (Singapore) for supporting the development of accessible quantum computing infrastructure.
• Leti Arts (Robertson Nortey) and KHPH Studios (Karen Happuch) for exceptional game design and visual storytelling.
• Prof. Alexei Lapkin (iDMT, Cambridge) for bridging molecular design with industrial chemistry.
• Dr. Neil Voss for cryo‑EM expertise and structural validation.
• Dr. Beata Mierzwa and Prof. Ron Eglash for their contributions to science art and algorithmic culture.
• Dr. Hanae Henke for laboratory automation and training design.
• Steam for distribution and community building.
• The Ashanti royal lineage for the symbols Sankofa and Gye Nyame, inspiring our mission to bridge past wisdom with future innovation.

qFoldIT – where every player becomes a co‑inventor.
Sankofa: we retrieve wisdom from the past to build the future.
Gye Nyame: except God, there are no limits.