Google DeepMind has introduced the third major version of its “AlphaFold” artificial intelligence model, aimed at assisting scientists in designing drugs and targeting diseases more effectively.
In 2020, the company achieved a significant breakthrough in molecular biology by utilizing AI to accurately predict the behavior of tiny proteins. With the latest iteration of AlphaFold, researchers at DeepMind and its sister company, Isomorphic Labs, both under the supervision of co-founder Demis Hassabis, have now mapped out the behavior of all molecules found in life, including human DNA.
Understanding how proteins interact with other molecules, ranging from vital enzymes in human metabolism to antibodies combating infectious diseases, is crucial for drug discovery and development.
DeepMind revealed that their findings, published in the research journal Nature on Wednesday, would streamline the time and resources required to develop potentially life-changing treatments.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Hassabis emphasized the significance of these advancements, stating, “With these new capabilities, we can design a molecule that will bind to a specific place on a protein, and we can predict how strongly it will bind. It’s a critical step if you want to design drugs and compounds that will help with disease.”
In addition to unveiling the latest version of AlphaFold, the company introduced the “AlphaFold server,” a free online tool accessible to scientists for testing their hypotheses before conducting real-world experiments.
Since 2021, AlphaFold’s predictions have been freely available to non-commercial researchers, comprising a database with over 200 million protein structures and cited thousands of times in various research works.
According to DeepMind, the new server requires minimal computing knowledge, enabling researchers to conduct tests with just a few clicks. John Jumper, a senior research scientist at DeepMind, emphasized the importance of the AlphaFold server, stating, “It’s going to be really important how much easier the AlphaFold server makes it for biologists – who are experts in biology, not computer science – to test larger, more complex cases.”
