Short Wave Can AI Crack The Biology Code?
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Jun 3, 2025 
Burley McCoy, a producer at NPR, dives into the fascinating world of AI in protein science. He shares insights on AlphaFold3, a groundbreaking AI from Google DeepMind that revolutionizes protein structure prediction. The conversation highlights how this technology is not just improving our understanding of proteins but also tackling pressing challenges like diseases and climate change. McCoy explains how AI is paving the way for innovative protein design, creating solutions that could significantly impact global health and sustainability.
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Protein Shapes Determine Function
- Knowing a protein's shape is crucial because its function depends entirely on its unique shape.
- Determining protein shapes experimentally can take years and be extremely challenging.
AlphaFold2 Revolutionizes Predictions
- AlphaFold2 revolutionized protein structure prediction by dramatically outperforming competitors in 2020.
- This AI breakthrough accelerated progress in understanding protein shapes.
AlphaFold2's Comprehensive Folding Approach
- AlphaFold2's architecture considers distances between all amino acids, not just adjacent ones.
- This holistic approach vastly improved prediction accuracy and speed.