DeepMind makes extraordinary discovery

DeepMind makes extraordinary discovery

31. Juli 2022 0 Von Horst Buchwald

DeepMind makes extraordinary discovery

San Francisco, 7/31/2022

Predicting the shape of proteins is one of the most difficult aspects of biological

research and has yielded little progress over the years.

 

But now researchers at Alphabet-owned DeepMind have made an extraordinary discovery: they are now able to predict the shape of almost all known proteins. The company used its AlphaFold algorithm to do so.

This scientific breakthrough could unlock the enormous potential of protein research and reduce the time it takes to predict the shape of a protein from months to minutes.

Currently, the shape of only 0.1% of all proteins is known, taking months or years to determine. DeepMind’s new invention could reduce that time to minutes.

 

Scientists call proteins the building blocks of life because their importance extends from everyday processes to drug development.

DeepMind now knows nearly all protein structures on Earth, including those of animals and other organisms. The company has published its findings in a public database, but is withholding information about viruses because they could be misused for bioterrorism.