Players of a collaborative online game called Foldit have solved a long-standing scientific quandry that could open new doors to an entirely new way to find cures for diseases: crowdsourcing.

A group consisting of 12-15 players from around the world came together to figure out the molecular structure “of a protein-cutting enzyme from an AIDS-like virus found in rhesus monkeys,” reports MSNBC’s Alan Boyle. The enzyme is instrumental in the spread of the disease. Figuring out the structure could help figure out how to stop it, which Boyle says has been compared to “ designing a key to fit one of Mother Nature’s locks.”

The gamers had to figure out the most efficient, lowest-energy-cost configuration of the enzyme, the kind nature itself would put together. As players come up with increasingly efficient designs their scores go up. The Foldit players were able to solve the configuration in under 10 days.

Faris Khatib, lead author of a research paper on the project and a biochemist at the University of Washington, said his team believes this is the first time gamers have come together to solve a problem like this. Boyle calls it a big leap for “citizen science,” and says games like Foldit may be used in the future to help major developments in other areas including drug development and biofuels.

The winning gamers had a champagne toast via Skype and we’d like to say cheers as well. Let the games begin … to change the world.