# \[Strategy Market\] \[Switch\] Elements: MS2 Gates
**URL:** https://forum.eternagame.org/t/strategy-market-switch-elements-ms2-gates/2365
**Category:** Strategy Market - Switches
**Created:** [June 16, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.eternagame.org/t/strategy-market-switch-elements-ms2-gates/2365 "2015-06-16T19:51:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Eli\_Fisker](https://forum.eternagame.org/u/Eli_Fisker)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.eternagame.org/t/strategy-market-switch-elements-ms2-gates/2365/1 "2015-06-16T19:51:00Z")
**Strategy for Exclusion labs (Turnoff labs)**
Give 3+ if there is a 2 base pair stack forming close in front of the MS2 when it is forming. That stack in front of the MS2 is what I call MS2 gate.
Give 2+ if there is a 3 base pair stack forming and decrease score for length hereafter.
Give +1 if that MS2 gate is spaced by a energy weak 1-1 loop, a bulge right in front of the MS2 or a small internal loop or bulge (max 4 bases away) in between MS2 and the MS2 gate, when the MS2 is forming. Preferable with most of the single bases before the MS2. This spacer between MS2 and MS2 gate strategy, goes for MicroRNA labs too.
**Strategy for Same state labs (Turn on labs)**
If there are any MS2 gate forming in an average of 0-3 bases away from the MS2 (max 4 base distance on either side) hairpin, when MS2 is forming. Penalize harshly and exponentially per base pair count in the MS2 gate.
**Strategy for MicroRNA labs**
Give bonus to MS2 Gates for Turn on labs (sensor 208a), that are 5 bp long. Decrease bonus for more or less.
Give bonus for MS2 Gate for Turnoff labs, that are 6-9 bp long. Decrease bonus for more or less.
**Background articles**
The MS2 gates are visualized in the post below:
[](https://d2r1vs3d9006ap.cloudfront.net/s3_images/1221884/VizualizingtheMS2gate.jpg?1434484087)
[https://getsatisfaction.com/eternagam…](https://getsatisfaction.com/eternagame/topics/johan-s-microrna-lab#reply_15754641)
[Loop Spacers](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A5Coo_tlV8HZKZ0oC5QNIeiRhlE_m6OglLrwjV6ostM/edit#heading=h.3mzj6ouvc0kn)
[https://getsatisfaction.com/eternagam…](https://getsatisfaction.com/eternagame/topics/switch-scores-for-eterna-switch-puzzles?page=3#reply_15690813)
[https://getsatisfaction.com/eternagam…](https://getsatisfaction.com/eternagame/topics/switch-scores-for-eterna-switch-puzzles?page=2#reply_15560539)
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### Author:  [@vineetkosaraju](https://forum.eternagame.org/u/vineetkosaraju)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://forum.eternagame.org/t/strategy-market-switch-elements-ms2-gates/2365/2 "2015-06-29T19:56:00Z")
Dear Eli Fisker,
Your strategy has been added to our implementation queue and we should have it completed within the next two to three weeks. You can check the status of the implementation [here](https://github.com/vineetsk1/Switch-Strategies/issues/26 "Link https//githubcom/vineetsk1/Switch-Strategies/issues/26").
We will also be uploading the code used to write your strategy on this [page](https://github.com/vineetsk1/Switch-Strategies) if you are interested in reading it later.
After implementing your idea, we will post the direct link to the code here. Then, we will then optimize the parameters, and test it. At that point, we will tell you the correlation of how good your strategy was and what the new optimized parameters are.
Thanks for sharing your idea!
Vineet Kosaraju
The EteRNA Team
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### Author:  [@vineetkosaraju](https://forum.eternagame.org/u/vineetkosaraju)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 6:09am UTC](https://forum.eternagame.org/t/strategy-market-switch-elements-ms2-gates/2365/3 "2015-07-07T06:09:00Z")
Dear Eli Fisker,
I am pleased to announce that a preliminary version of your strategy has been implemented with 29 lines of code. The code might slightly change in the future to remove bugs, but you can check the current version [here](https://github.com/vineetsk1/Switch-Strategies/blob/master/eli_fisker_elements_MS2_gates.py). We will soon work on optimizing your parameters and testing the strategy.
Thank you again for sharing your switch strategy!
Vineet Kosaraju
The EteRNA Team