Plain English with Derek Thompson How AI Could Help Us Discover Miracle Drugs
9 snips
Sep 13, 2024 
Pushmeet Kohli, head of AI for science at DeepMind, discusses the revolutionary impact of AlphaFold in drug discovery. He explains how this groundbreaking AI predicts protein structures, unlocking complexities vital for understanding diseases. Kohli highlights the protein paradox, detailing why these molecules are crucial yet challenging in medicine. He also explores the interplay between biology and AI, emphasizing the potential of these technologies to accelerate breakthroughs in healthcare and address pressing medical mysteries.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Life's Building Blocks
- Life's complexity arises from simple elements forming complex entities.
- Proteins, the machines of life, govern biological processes, enabling consciousness and diverse functions.
Protein Shape and Function
- Protein shape dictates function, impacting interactions and complex formations.
- Even single mutations can cause diseases like sickle cell anemia, highlighting the importance of structure.
Protein Science Before AlphaFold
- Determining protein structures experimentally was time-consuming and costly.
- AlphaFold offered a computational solution, accelerating research and expanding the range of proteins studied.