I have determined a protein/RNA/ligand structure or complex and want to suggest it as a prediction target for CASP17. How can I do that?
There are three easy ways to suggest your target for CASP. You can either directly submit the sequence of your macromolecule and the related information through the web form; mark your PDB deposition as 'CASP target' (check box) within the PDB deposition system; or send us an email (casp AT predictioncenter.org).

I am not in structure determination business, but want to model a protein/RNA/ligand structure/complex of my interest. Can I submit the sequence of this macromolecule as a CASP target, so that the CASP community will model it for me?
No, CASP is not a structure modeling facility but rather a forum for objective testing structure prediction methods. However, we have good news for you. If you want to model a protein or protein complex, model(s) can be already available in the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database. Also, there are several protein structure prediction servers, which were tested in CASP and proved to be reliable structure prediction tools. They can compute the structure of your protein together with the accuracy estimates of the generated models. In particular, you can use: ColabFold notebook (based on AlphaFold2 and MMseqs2) or RosettaFold server.

Where can I find the list of CASP17 targets?
Targets suggested for prediction in CASP17 can be found at the Target List page . During the prediction season, targets are posted there daily and, additionally, automatically pushed to the registered prediction servers.

Are all targets in CASP17 intended for prediction by all groups?
No. Targets will be divided into two tracks: those intended for prediction by all groups (i.e., both - human-expert and server groups), and those intended for fully automatic servers only. Human-expert groups predicting tertiary or/and quaternary structure should concentrate on human (all-group) targets, while server groups should predict all targets. Per-residue accuracy self-estimates should be submitted for all targets.

How targets are assigned to different tracks (human vs server)?
Assignment of a target to a particular track is made by the organizers and communicated to the predictors through the Target List page.

Are prediction time windows for all-group targets and server targets the same?
All-group targets are usually released with the 2-week prediction deadline, while server only targets usually have 72 hour prediction deadline. All targets are assigned two expiration dates (one - for server predictors and another - for human-expert groups). Accuracy estimates are requested after structure predictions are collected and released. More on the dealines and formats - in CASP17 format page.

When do you stop accepting submissions?
All predictions must be received and accepted before 9am PDT on the corresponding expiration date.

When targets are released?
Targets are released on business days only, around 9:30am PDT. They are released in batches of not more than 3 targets per day for servers and, usually, one-two target per day for expert groups. Data for model accuracy estimates category are released at noon, PDT. Sequence and other relevant information about the targets is posted at the Target List web page. Requests to the participating servers are sent shortly after the target release.

How many targets do you expect in CASP17?
In a typical 13-week target release window, based on previous CASPs, we are planning to release 50-100 targets (depending on the availability).

How are the targets released?
In the first round, all targets will be released without stoichiometry. After this, we will provide predictors with the information on the oligomerization state of the target, if known to the organizers (column Oligo in the Target List). Three days after a target re-release, we will provide MassiveFold models so predictiors can take advantage of them for the remainder of the two-week human prediction window. After the conclusion of the second stage, the accuracy predictors will have two days to generate interface accuracy estimates.

How many predictions can I submit?
A team may submit up to five structural models or/and one accuracy model. For specialized targets, we may request a larger number of models. This will be communicated to participants through emails and the CASP Message Board.