COVID-19 Update: Please do NOT physically log this cache. Due to the current pandemic you can log online or take a picture near GZ. Lets do our part to stop the spread.

Every living organism on the planet uses DNA as its code. But what is it that DNA codes for? It’s a code to build a perfectly ordered and arranged protein. These proteins are not static lifeless molecules. Instead, proteins combine into complex protein machines that do nearly all of the work of our cells. There are trillions of cells in your body. These cells store their DNA inside the cell’s nucleus. Throughout the life of a cell, genes are transcribed into RNA. The RNA is a nearly identical copy of one of the strands of DNA. The RNA leaves the nucleus through small holes(pores) and makes it’s way to a small organelle called a ribosome, often on the endoplasmic reticulum. Ribosomes translate the RNA message into a protein, composed of a string of Amino Acids. The RNA code determines the order of the 20 possible Amino Acid building blocks. The finished Protein product is then packaged and glycosylated. It is transported to the location in the cell where it does one of thousands of unique jobs.

When there is a mistake or mutation in one of the ~23,000 human genes it results in a mistake in the RNA and even more importantly the protein. Even single Amino Acid mistakes in a protein often result in a misfolded protein that cannot function. If the protein does a job essential to the cell type or tissue it is produced in and it doesn’t work… it often results in genetic disease. This cache requires you to sift through ten different protein sequences. Each protein is coded by a gene, associated with genetic mutation and genetic disease. Make the Code-Protein-Disease connection to get the final coords.

There are several tools online that allow you to search the databases of all sequenced organisms. Isn’t that crazy? Billions of dollars in sequencing research and any schmo with a laptop can have access. What a world! Now… in order to solve this puzzle, you will need to use the protein sequences below. Notice that these sequences are very different than DNA which includes only 4 bases that code DNA (GCATAATACGGGCCGATTGCGCC). The four bases of DNA are used to code for a specific pattern of 20 different Amino Acids. Each letter in a protein code represents one of the 20 possible amino acids (EYKRENPGMFSWEIRDKLLK).

This website will allow you to search an unthinkably large collection of different genomes. It searches by protein sequence.

https://www.uniprot.org/blast/

`7`

GQGRVNQLGGVFINGRPLPNHIRHKIVEMAHHGIRPCVISRQLRVSHGCVSKILCRYQET

GSIRPGAIGGSKPKQVTTPDVEKKIEEYKRENPGMFSWEIRDKLLKDAVCDRNTVPSVSS

ISRILRSK

`5`

MPRRAENWDEAEVGAEEAGVEEYGPEEDGGEESGAEESGPEESGPEELGAEEEMEAGRPR

PVLRSVNSREPSQVIFCNRSPRVVLPVWLNFDGEPQPYPTLPPGTGRRIHSYRGHLWLFR

DAGTHDGLLVNQTELFVPSLNVDGQPIFANITLPVYTLKERCLQVVRSLVKPENYRRLDI

VRSLYEDLEDHPNVQKDLERLTQERIAHQRMGD

`1`

MATLEKLMKAFESLKSFQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQPPPPPPPPPPPQLPQPPPQAQP

LLPQPQPPPPPPPPPPGPAVAEEPLHRPKKELSATKKDRVNHCLTICENIVAQSVRNSPE

FQKLLGIAMELFLLCSDDAESDVRMVADECLNKVIKALMDSNLPRLQLELYKEIKKNGAP

RSLRAALWRFAELAHLVRPQKCRPYLVNLLPCLTRTSKRPEESVQETLAAAVPKIMASFG

NFANDNEIKVLLKAFIANLKSSSPTIRRTAA

`0`

MAMSSGGSGGGVPEQEDSVLFRRGTGQSDDSDIWDDTALIKAYDKAVASFKHALKNGDIC

ETSGKPKTTPKRKPAKKNKSQKKNTAASLQQWKVGDKCSAIWSEDGCIYPATIASIDFKR

ETCVVVYTGYGNREEQNLSDLLSPICEVANNIEQNAQENENESQVSTDESENSRSPGNKS

DNIKPKSAPWNSFLPPPPPMPGPRLGPGKPGLKFNGPPPPPPPPPPHLLSCWLPPFPSGP

PIIPPPPPICPDSLDDADALGSMLISWYMSGYHTGYYMGFRQNQKEGRCSHSLN

`6`

MGPRARPALLLLMLLQTAVLQGRLLRSHSLHYLFMGASEQDLGLSLFEALGYVDDQLFVF

YDHESRRVEPRTPWVSSRISSQMWLQLSQSLKGWDHMFTVDFWTIMENHNHSKESHTLQV

ILGCEMQEDNSTEGYWKYGYDGQDHLEFCPDTLDWRAAEPRAWPTKLEWERHKIRARQNR

AYLERDCPAQLQQLLELGRGVLDQQVPPLVKVTHHVTSSVTTLRCRALNYYPQNITMKWL

KDKQPMDAKEFEPKDVLPNGDGTYQGWITLAVPPGEEQRYTCQVEHPGLDQPLIVIWEPS

PSGTLVIGVISGIAVFVVILFIGILFIILRKRQGSRGAMGHYVLAERE

`0`

MQRSPLEKASVVSKLFFSWTRPILRKGYRQRLELSDIYQIPSVDSADNLSEKLEREWDRE

LASKKNPKLINALRRCFFWRFMFYGIFLYLGEVTKAVQPLLLGRIIASYDPDNKEERSIA

IYLGIGLCLLFIVRTLLLHPAIFGLHHIGMQMRIAMFSLIYKKTLKLSSRVLDKISIGQL

VSLLSNNLNKFDEGLALAHFVWIAPLQVALLMGLIWELLQASAFCGLGFLIVLALFQAGL

GRMMMKYRDQRAGKISERLVITSEMIENIQSVKAYCWEEAMEKMIENLRQTELKLTRKAA

YVRYFNSSAFFFSGFFVVFL

`0`

MSEKKLETTAQQRKCPEWMNVQNKRCAVEERKACVRKSVFEDDLPFLEFTGSIVYSYDAS

DCSFLSEDISMSLSDGDVVGFDMEWPPLYNRGKLGKVALIQLCVSESKCYLFHVSSMSVF

PQGLKMLLENKAVKKAGVGIEGDQWKLLRDFDIKLKNFVELTDVANKKLKCTETWSLNSL

VKHLLGKQLLKDKSIRCSNWSKFPLTEDQKLYAATDAYAGFIIYRNLEILDDTVQRFAIN

KEEEILLSDMNKQLTSISEEVMDLAKHLPHAFS

`0`

MWTLGRRAVAGLLASPSPAQAQTLTRVPRPAELAPLCGRRGLRTDIDATCTPRRASSNQR

GLNQIWNVKKQSVYLMNLRKSGTLGHPGSLDETTYERLAEETLDSLAEFFEDLADKPYTF

EDYDVSFGSGVLTVKLGGDLGTYVINKQTPNKQIWLSSPSSGPKRYDWTGKNWVYSHDGV

SLHELLAAELTKALKTKLDLSSLAYSGKDA

`1`

MTSSRLWFSLLLAAAFAGRATALWPWPQNFQTSDQRYVLYPNNFQFQYDVSSAAQPGCSV

LDEAFQRYRDLLFGSGSWPRPYLTGKRHTLEKNVLVVSVVTPGCNQLPTLESVENYTLTI

NDDQCLLLSETVWGALRGLETFSQLVWKSAEGTFFINKTEIEDFPRFPHRGLLLDTSRHY

LPLSSILDTLDVMAYNKLNVFHWHLVDDPSFPYESFTFPELMRKGSYNPVTHIYTAQDVK

EVIEYARLRGIRVLAEFDTPGHTLSWGPGIP

`0`

MDLSALRVEEVQNVINAMQKILECPICLELIKEPVSTKCDHIFCKFCMLKLLNQKKGPSQ

CPLCKNDITKRSLQESTRFSQLVEELLKIICAFQLDTGLEYANSYNFAKKENNSPEHLKD

EVSIIQSMGYRNRAKRLLQSEPENPSLQETSLSVQLSNLGTVRTLRTKQRIQPQKTSVYI

ELGSDSSEDTVNKATYCSVGDQELLQITPQGTRDEISLDSAKKAACEFSETDVTNTEHHQ

PSNNDLNTTEKRAAERHPEKYQGSSVSNL

Additional Waypoints